On the night of September 1-2, 2026, there was a major police operation at the Amprion electrical substation in the Rheidt district of Bergheim, Germany, due to a suspected deliberate sabotage. Several power lines failed after a short circuit at the substation. The police in Essen took over the investigation, ruling out a technical fault and suspecting intentional damage. The general power supply to households was not affected. This event parallels an earlier sabotage attempt on September 1, 2026, targeting high-voltage power lines near the Jänschwalde coal power plant in Brandenburg, which aimed to cause blackouts. The Bergheim incident caused operational interruptions at RWE Power. Police are investigating possible tools used in the sabotage, but have not disclosed specifics such as drones or fireworks as used in Brandenburg. The incident affected the transmission network operated by Amprion, which transforms high voltage electricity for distribution and integrates renewable energy. The operation is described as a large-scale police response with collaboration between Polizei Essen, Amprion, and RWE Power. The usual local jurisdiction (Polizei Köln) was unavailable due to other operations. Investigation is ongoing with police awaiting forensic evidence at the scene.

On the night of September 1-2, 2026, there was a major police operation at the Amprion electrical substation in the Rheidt district of Bergheim, Germany, due to a suspected deliberate sabotage. Several power lines failed after a short circuit at the substation. The police in Essen took over the investigation, ruling out a technical fault and suspecting intentional damage. The general power supply to households was not affected. This event parallels an earlier sabotage attempt on September 1, 2026, targeting high-voltage power lines near the Jänschwalde coal power plant in Brandenburg, which aimed to cause blackouts. The Bergheim incident caused operational interruptions at RWE Power. Police are investigating possible tools used in the sabotage, but have not disclosed specifics such as drones or fireworks as used in Brandenburg. The incident affected the transmission network operated by Amprion, which transforms high voltage electricity for distribution and integrates renewable energy. The operation is described as a large-scale police response with collaboration between Polizei Essen, Amprion, and RWE Power. The usual local jurisdiction (Polizei Köln) was unavailable due to other operations. Investigation is ongoing with police awaiting forensic evidence at the scene.