As of early 2026, more than 100 offshore wind farms operate across the exclusive economic zones of Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Belgium. Major clusters in the German Bight and off the UK's east coast make the North Sea one of the world's largest offshore wind hubs. Yet this critical infrastructure is increasingly exposed to hybrid warfare—drone overflights, possible sabotage, and submarine mapping—raising a pressing question: who is responsible for its security?
The answer is far from straightforward. Unlike incidents on land, where police or military have clear mandates, offshore energy infrastructure falls into a jurisdictional grey zone. In Germany, for instance, police handle drone sightings near critical infrastructure on land, while the armed forces can act over military sites. But when a drone hovers over an offshore wind farm—potentially filming or mapping—it often goes unreported, and no action is taken.
A Fragmented Response to Hybrid Threats
Albéric Mongrenier, Executive Director of the European Initiative for Energy Security (EIES), notes that attacks on energy infrastructure are "not only increasing in frequency, but are also diversifying, both onshore and offshore." Offshore wind parks are particularly vulnerable because of their remote locations, making them "further away and harder to protect." The cables connecting these parks to the shore are especially exposed, he explained at a private digital roundtable.
Dan Marks, a research fellow in energy security at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, highlights a lack of data sharing. "Incidents tend to be reported to the police. They deal with the information they can, take witness statements and try to follow up, but the process is far from clear. What happens next, what the outcome is—it's often uncertain," he said. Companies have little incentive to report brief disruptions, Marks added: "You see a drone, wonder why it's there, monitor it for a while, and then it disappears. And no one reports it."
Marks dismissed the possibility of hobbyist drones accidentally straying several nautical miles out to sea. He pointed to incidents where drones were launched from so-called shadow fleet tankers—vessels that use concealing tactics to smuggle sanctioned goods like oil. This is not a problem unique to the North Sea, he noted, but it underscores the transnational nature of the threat.
Germany's Federal Challenge
Defence against hybrid threats remains fragmented across Europe, largely because countries rely on different systems and structures. Mongrenier argues that governments need to establish a clear framework for the private sector: "There needs to be a clear division of responsibilities between public actors, whether that is the police, the military or different branches of the administration. The private sector needs to know who is responsible for what at every stage: before an attack, during an attack and throughout the recovery process."
Approaches vary widely. "The Nordic countries are particularly strong in this area, especially Norway. Germany, by contrast, faces greater difficulties because it is a federal state with many different layers of authority," Mongrenier said. Sabrina Schulz, Germany Director of EIES, agreed, emphasising that "the complexity of the federal system combined with the complexity of various responsibilities across police, water police, navy, the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) and other authorities is challenging. For constitutional reasons, the federal level, such as the Ministry of Defence, cannot simply 'take over'."
Germany's Maritime Safety and Security Centre (MSSC) already serves as a key point of contact during incidents, ensuring appropriate action is taken. Still, Schulz noted that comparing Germany to Norway is "hardly possible," but added that "Germany should learn from best practices of other North Sea countries and adapt them to the national context."
Why Offshore Wind Matters
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 was a stark wake-up call for European energy security. In response, countries like Germany scrambled to secure alternative supplies, turning to LNG imports from Qatar and the US. That shift now faces new pressure amid escalating tensions in the Middle East, with Iran disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—a key artery for global oil shipments.
Daniel Greve, spokesperson for Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE), told Euronews Earth that "offshore wind energy is a strategic cornerstone of a resilient German and European energy system and industrial base. With high full-load hours and a stable generation profile, it reduces our reliance on imports."
The stakes are high. As hybrid threats evolve, the North Sea's wind farms—and the energy transition they represent—require a coordinated European response. Without clearer rules and shared intelligence, the region's renewable energy backbone remains exposed.
