Discussions in Poland on securing critical energy infrastructure

On a working visit to Katowice (Poland) on 23-24 April, Minister of Energy Žygimantas Vaičiūnas participated in the Energy Security and the Region in Transition Conference that was held as part of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union during the European Economic Congress.

During the conference discussions, the minister emphasised the importance of energy security in the face of geopolitical challenges and shared Lithuania's success in its coherent strategy to eliminate dependence on Russian energy resources. He also underlined the significance of the LNG terminal in Klaipėda, the importance of synchronisation with the continental European network, and the need to invest in energy system resilience.

"The main issue now is the resilience of our energy infrastructure. The European Union's motto of 'Unity in diversity' is very apt - we have different energy portfolios, but we are united by infrastructure and cross-border connections. This makes it possible to produce energy where doing so is most competitive, and supply it to where it is most in demand. When it comes to energy security, its classic definition is based on three pillars - sustainability, availability and security of supply. At the centre of this triangle is now energy system resilience. As such, we need to work intensively both EU-wide and at the national and regional levels; we also need to look for practical measures and attract additional EU funding," said Minister Vaičiūnas.

During the meetings in Katowice with Polish Minister of Industry Marzena Czarnecka, Polish Government Plenipotentiary for Strategic Energy Infrastructure and Vice-Minister Wojciech Wrochna, and Polish transmission system operator PSE President Grzegorz Onichimowski, considerable attention was given to the Harmony Link interconnection between Lithuania and Poland.

"Lithuania and Poland are strategic partners in the region. Together, we are implementing projects that bolster the energy security and resilience of the entire region. We are confident that successful cooperation will continue with another priority as well - the Harmony Link project, which will play an important role in strengthening regional energy security and expanding the integration and competitiveness of our markets," emphasised Mr Vaičiūnas.

The importance of protecting critical energy infrastructure was also highlighted during the meetings. Lithuania expressed its full support for the priorities of the Polish Presidency of the Council of the EU related to strengthening energy security and the protection and resilience of critical energy infrastructure. Also discussed was the need for closer cooperation at the regional and EU levels in order to find concrete solutions and additional EU funding, ensuring the effective implementation of energy security measures.

During his visit to Poland, Minister Vaičiūnas also met with Chair of the European Parliament's Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Borys Budka and other energy policymakers. At the meetings, the protection of critical energy infrastructure against hybrid and physical threats and other important issues of regional cooperation were discussed as well.