Lithuania to step up protection of oil refinery, terminals, key electricity infrastructure

VILNIUS – The Lithuanian Energy Ministry proposes to step up the physical protection of Orlen Lietuva's Mazeikiai crude refinery and its Butinge and Mockava terminals. 

Energy Minister Dainius Kreivys' draft order says the aim is "to strengthen the physical protection of energy infrastructure of strategic or major importance by introducing additional measures for facilities of protection levels 3 and 4, as well as by introducing a higher level of physical protection for (...) Orlen Lietuva and its facilities". 

The ministry suggests raising the level of physical protection for Orlen Lietuva's Mazeikiai plant from 2 to 4, the highest level, and to place the company's Butinge crude terminal and its Mockava oil product handling terminal on level 3, which is applied to high-risk facilities. 

The Mockava facility has not been assigned any protection level so far.  

It is also proposed to install structures to conceal critical equipment or to protect against explosions for level 3 and 4 facilities. 

This requirement would be mandatory for Litgrid's power interconnections with other countries, converter stations, switchyards, and 330 kV substations and switchyards. 

Also, it would be recommended for level 3 facilities and mandatory for level 4 facilities to have UAV detection and neutralization systems.

Lithuania's electricity and gas transmission system operators Litgrid and Amber Grid are planning to purchase such systems and install them in 19 locations in 2024, with an international tender launched in early August. 

The planned changes would come into force on January 1, 2024.