Germany has obliged wind farm operators in the North Sea to install radar systems to improve maritime traffic control. This decision was made against the backdrop of security threats in European waters, in particular after the discovery of Russian tankers operating in a “ghost fleet” to circumvent EU sanctions. This was reported by Reuters.
Germany’s Federal Maritime Agency (BSH) has confirmed Bild’s report that wind farms must be equipped with modern radar systems. The new requirements, published by the BSH in January, require that radars be installed on the relevant structures and that the data collected be shared with the authorities.
“The data collected will primarily be used for the security of sea routes,” said BSH spokesman Nico Nolte. He noted that the information will also be sent to the federal maritime security centre in the port of Cuxhaven.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the situation in European waters has become more tense. German customs officials have already detained the Eventin tanker, which was drifting in German waters. The EU believes it is part of Russia’s “ghost fleet”, which circumvents sanctions by disabling navigation systems or falsifying location data.
Germany continues to increase spending on security and defence, in particular through constitutional reform, which opens up the possibility of virtually unlimited investment in these areas.
