Norway's power grid operators asked to sharpen sabotage preparedness

By ‌Nora Buli

OSLO, Dec 17 (Reuters) - Norway's energy regulator NVE on Wednesday ‍proposed new ‌rules governing the preparedness of grid companies to repair power ⁠lines in the event of ‌acts of sabotage, reflecting warnings from security agencies of increased threat levels.

Domestic security agencies have warned that Norway, which is a key supplier of ⁠natural gas but also power to Europe, is facing an greater risk of sabotage ​in light of the full scale war in ‌Ukraine and greater geopolitical tensions.

But ⁠a recent survey had shown that the current regime for repairing Norwegian power infrastructure is primarily designed for storms and ​technical failures, not simultaneous sabotage attacks, NVE said.

"If the power system stops functioning, Norway will stop functioning within a short time," NVE's Director General Kjetil Lund said in a statement.

Grid companies therefore ​needed ‍to update their plans ​on how to handle such events.

"In concrete terms, this means that grid companies must have crews, expertise and spare parts in place to restore necessary functions and be able to withstand simultaneous and serious incidents over time," Lund said.

The regulatory changes now proposed by ⁠NVE and sent for consultation will result in higher costs for companies and in turn ​add up to 300 Norwegian crowns ($29.40) in grid fees paid a year by an average household.

"The increased costs must be weighed against the benefit, which is better public safety. ‌We believe that it is an insurance premium worth paying," Lund said.

($1 = 10.2046 Norwegian crowns)

(Reporting by Nora Buli, editing by Terje Solsvik)