Key facts
- Lithuania is building a new power grid substation, Gizai, near the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.
- The substation will include defenses against explosive drone attacks, such as reinforced concrete sarcophagi for transformers.
- Security measures also include fencing resistant to truck-borne explosives and sensors to detect tunnels.
- The Gizai substation is part of the Harmony Link interconnection with Poland, crucial for the Baltic states' energy security.
- The project's cost has increased by at least €48 million due to enhanced security measures.
- Lithuania plans to ask the EU to cover at least half of the substation's costs.
Lithuania is implementing robust security measures, including defenses against explosive drones and sabotage, for a new power grid substation near Russia's Kaliningrad exclave. The Gizai substation, a critical component of the Harmony Link interconnection with Poland, is designed to ensure energy stability for the Baltic states in the event of wider conflict or hybrid threats.
Litgrid CEO Andrius Semeskevicius told Reuters that the substation's design now accounts for "all possible hybrid and non-hybrid threats," a shift from planning solely for natural disasters. The construction includes fencing capable of withstanding truck-borne explosives, tunnel detection sensors, and reinforced concrete "sarcophagi" to protect transformers from drone attacks. The substation will be spread across a 35-hectare site to limit damage from a single strike, and buildings will be set back from the fence for added protection.
The location of the substation, within the Suwalki Gap—a strategically sensitive area between Russia and its ally Belarus—has long been a security concern for NATO members Lithuania and Poland. These concerns have intensified following recent alleged sabotage attacks on Germany's electricity grid, for which Berlin has blamed Moscow, though Russia denies involvement. Intelligence sources have also warned of potential Russian false flag drone attacks in the region aimed at testing NATO's unity.
The Harmony Link project is vital for the Baltic states, which decoupled from Russia's grid last year and are now seeking full integration with the European Union's power system. An official from a regional grid company described the line as Lithuania's "lifeline if the system collapses" and linked the timing of the security upgrades to rising threats.
Semeskevicius explained that the substation is being designed to withstand attacks from Shahed drones, which Russia has used extensively in Ukraine. The reinforced concrete will be custom-made with plastic threads for enhanced resistance, and duplicate units of key equipment will be installed to ensure operational continuity if some components are damaged or destroyed. The cost of these security enhancements is estimated to add at least €48 million to the project, with potential for further increases if geopolitical circumstances worsen.
Lithuania's military is advising Litgrid on securing critical energy infrastructure. Lithuania's Energy Minister Lukas Savickas plans to request EU funding for at least half of the substation's costs, arguing that countries bordering Russia should not bear the full burden of such security expenses. Poland's deputy energy minister, Wojciech Wrochna, echoed this sentiment, calling for increased EU financing to prevent the interconnection from becoming prohibitively expensive and to address broader energy system security.