Energinet doubles down on security at electricity and gas plants

Danish TSO Energinet is investing DKK1.6 billion ($252 million) to increase physical security at its more than 350 electricity and gas installations across Denmark.

The investment comes in the wake of increased threats to European infrastructure and new European and national legislation, including the Act on strengthened preparedness in the energy sector to improve security and monitoring at its installations, Energinet reports in a statement.

Several of Denmark's neighbouring countries have experienced sabotage against critical infrastructure, mysterious fires and illegal intrusion into energy plants.

In Denmark, too, the threat outlook is increasing. For example, the number of cyber attacks has increased in recent years, with Energinet having experienced several.

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"Overall, it is about securing our many facilities for a new threat scenario. This means that we must secure them even better than we do today – and that far more facilities must be covered,” says Signe Horn Rosted, CEO and member of Energinet's Executive Board with responsibility for IT, Emergency Preparedness and Cyber Security.

She notes that over recent years, there has been a major expansion of Energinet’s IT security to increase its resilience against cyber attacks and that will continue.

However, she continues that while Energinet has not yet experienced any physical attacks, preparation must be made for the fact that the risk is there and is real.

"Therefore, we are now embarking on a comprehensive upgrade of our physical security and monitoring in a programme that will run over the coming years. We will make both physical and electronic improvements so that our facilities and buildings are secured for the threat picture we have now, rather than the historical one.

“This means that we must have even more fine-grained observations, physical security and monitoring. Of course, we will take advantage of the new technological opportunities we have, as it will be absolutely necessary in securing such an extensive plant mass – onshore and offshore.".

Energinet has indicated that at a number of the plants the work to increase security and monitoring will take place in close cooperation with the local grid companies and other plant owners.

In several locations, Energinet's transmission facilities and the local grid companies are housed behind the same fences or walls.

Energinet reports not disclosing specific threats and attacks directed at the Danish transmission grids for electricity and gas. However, specific incidents and suspicious behaviour are always reported to the police and authorities, with whom in general there is good ongoing collaboration to secure the Danish energy infrastructure.