Suspected sabotage at Bergheim substation knocks 4,200 MW of RWE power offline
German police are investigating intentional sabotage after a short circuit at a Bergheim substation disconnected five RWE coal plant blocks with 4,200 megawatts of capacity.
Substation disruption in Bergheim
Emergency services deployed to an electrical substation in the Rheidt district of Bergheim near Cologne around 20:00 on Tuesday evening following reports of a short circuit. Multiple high-voltage transmission lines failed at the facility, which is operated by transmission system operator Amprion in the Rhein-Erft-Kreis. Local residents reported seeing bright flashes and hearing explosions before a police helicopter surveyed the area. The Essen police department took control of the operation and secured a wide cordon around the perimeter while waiting for daylight to conduct forensic searches for tools and devices.
- Perpetrators launch homemade projectiles at transmission lines near Jänschwalde coal plant in Brandenburg
- Police respond to short circuit and severed lines at the Bergheim-Rheidt substation
- RWE reconnects Niederaußem Unit H to the power grid
- Two additional power blocks scheduled to return to operational service
- Final two RWE power blocks scheduled to resume operations
Grid impact and power station shutdowns
The transmission failure directly affected power plant feed lines in the Rheinland mining district, forcing energy company RWE Power to disconnect five lignite-fired power blocks across two generating stations. At the Niederaußem power plant in Bergheim, blocks H, G, and K were taken offline. At the Neurath power plant in Grevenbroich, blocks G and F ceased operation. The disconnected units represent approximately 4,200 megawatts of total capacity and were actively supplying around 3,000 megawatts of power to the grid when the incident occurred.
- Total disconnected capacity
- 4200 MW
- Active supply at time of incident
- 3000 MW
Amprion maintained overall grid stability throughout the disruption by sourcing balancing power from other regions, preventing residential blackouts in surrounding towns and villages. RWE spokesperson Matthias Beigel reported on Wednesday morning that Niederaußem Block H had already reconnected to the network. Two additional blocks are scheduled to return to service during Wednesday, while the remaining two units are expected to stay offline until the weekend.
The general power supply was at no point affected and system stability was always guaranteed.
Criminal investigation by police
Investigators from the Essen police headquarters quickly ruled out a technical malfunction and opened a criminal inquiry into deliberate sabotage. Essen police assumed command because the department is designated as a specialized regional headquarters for handling potential attack scenarios. Forensic specialists spent Wednesday morning analyzing physical traces at the Rommerskirchen facility to determine the tools and entry methods used in the disruption.
Based on the current state of investigation, we do not assume a technical defect, but rather an intentional act, a criminal offence.
Sequence of infrastructure incidents
The Bergheim incident occurred less than a day after an attack on power infrastructure in eastern Germany. On Tuesday morning, unknown perpetrators launched homemade projectiles resembling commercial fireworks at high-voltage lines near the Jänschwalde coal power plant in Brandenburg, successfully triggering short circuits in two instances. Transmission operator 50Hertz discovered additional unlaunched devices at the scene, and the Brandenburg state government stated the attempt aimed to trigger a widespread blackout. Essen police noted that it remains too early to establish whether a direct link exists between the two events. The incidents follow a previous attack in January, when suspected left-wing extremists set high-voltage cables on fire near a power plant in southwest Berlin.
