Operations & maintenance
up and ensure that all measures are taken and enforced,” Kosareva says, adding that the attack on satellites showed how interdependent different industries are. “We need to consider the system as a whole, with all the subsystems it relies on.” Ensuring procedures and protocols are in place is becoming critical, particularly as the push for zero carbon intensifies considering the growing climate change crisis. Wind power is, and will continue to be, vital in the energy transition. Kosareva says wind began as a “nice addition to conventional power plants”, without assuming “any major grid responsibility”, generating electricity only when there was wind. “Today, however, we are looking at wind farms that are larger than some nuclear power plants. There’s a much higher penetration of renewables into the grids and we see wind farms take over some grid responsibility.” Vulnerability of the sector has long been a concern for the industry, but events of recent months have emphasised the need for a laser focus if it is to protect itself, and those it serves, from major disruption. Enhancing resilience is a priority. Calling for an equal measure of focus on OT as IT infrastructure has received, Kosareva sees a major obstacle: decoupled international regulations and standards. She says there needs to be an industry-wide baseline that is ensured independently of the security standards of the individual operators, manufacturers, country and so on. In Europe, steps have been taken to standardise requirements, broadly, and now proposals are in place for more targeted energy infrastructure requirements. The Network Code for Cybersecurity – which will regulate all aspects of cross-border electricity flows, including rules on risk assessments, common minimum requirements, planning, monitoring, reporting and crisis management – is currently under consultation; but nothing has yet been applied. Europe isn’t alone in needing greater guidance and clarity. In the US, there also remains gaps that significant elements of the wind power sector fall through. Where regulations do exist, they’re often disparate and in some cases can conflict others, leading stakeholders to navigate their own paths, having to unpick the tangled web of regulation that are there. Kosareva says introducing standardised approaches is imperative: “We should look for the best international practices, utilise the existing standards and norms and align the definitions and terminology across the industry and region.” Labelling proposals in the EU as “relatively slow-moving initiatives”, she says there’s a risk that by the time they’ve been approved they will be “outdated or insufficient”.
There are financial reasons to act more quickly too. “I think it is crucial to be aware of the costs that come hand-in-hand with the desire to increase the resilience
World Wind Technology /
www.worldwind-technology.com
of our wind assets, especially for international companies that need to comply with different local regulations across the globe; it can be challenging,” Kosareva says. “Therefore, when we’re defining that security baseline within the EU, we need to ensure we use existing international standards and definitions to be as efficient as possible.”
The energy crisis in Europe will create a need for higher installations in both the onshore and offshore wind sectors.
“Higher renewable energy penetration and the increasing size of farms – especially offshore – will call for additional cybersecurity measures as these assets become more critical to the electricity grid.”
For the past 30 years or so, advances in technology have come thick and fast; but so too have the tools and determination applied by those looking to do harm. It’s an indisputable fact that this will continue, as too will our reliance on technology to carry out operational tasks. At the same time, as the world pivots to counter the worst effects of climate change, and adversaries – state backed or otherwise – try to exploit the technologies used, it’s obvious cybersecurity will only become a bigger, more pressing concern. “Higher renewable energy penetration and the increasing size of farms – especially offshore – will call for additional cybersecurity measures as these assets become more and more critical to the electricity grid,” Kosareva warns. “Not to forget the complicated political situation we are in at the moment, which only highlights how quickly – and sometimes unexpectedly – things can change and take a new turn. We should always stay alert, preparing for what could potentially happen next.” It’s a stirring call, but also one that recent months have proved should not be overlooked. ●
$4.2m
The average cost incurred from a company data breach in 2021. IBM
67%
The increase in security
data breaches since 2014. Accenture
31
Vestas
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