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Storm-ravaged infrastructure needs rebuilding, not repair, says energy chief
๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡น Lithuania /Energy & Infrastructure

Storm-ravaged infrastructure needs rebuilding, not repair, says energy chief

From Delfi · () Lithuanian

Translated from Lithuanian and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Ongoing story
  • Lithuania's energy company ESO faces extensive damage to its power grid from a recent storm, with some sections requiring complete rebuilding.
  • The storm caused widespread power outages, affecting over 268,000 customers, with 62,000 still without electricity.
  • Efforts to underground power lines, a potential mitigation strategy, are costly and time-consuming, with plans to cable 1,000 km by year-end.

The recent storm has left parts of Lithuania's energy infrastructure in such disarray that "there is nothing to restore" in some areas, according to Renaldas Radvila, head of Energijos Skirstymo Operatorius (ESO).

Radvila described the damage as extensive, with entire lines of 15-18 support structures toppled. While temporary cable solutions are being implemented, long-term fixes are necessary. "Trees have fundamentally mangled the network," he stated.

I won't dramatize, but in some places, we won't restore the network, we will simply have to build a new one, because there is nothing to restore.

โ€” Renaldas RadvilaDescribing the extent of the damage to the power infrastructure after the storm.

The storm, which struck over the weekend, caused trees to fall across Lithuania, resulting in one death and four injuries. Power disruptions affected more than 268,000 consumers, and as of Thursday morning, 62,000 customers remained without electricity.

Despite criticism over the pace of repairs, Radvila assured that all available contractors are engaged, with 400 brigades working on storm damage. He noted that authorities suggested undergrounding power lines could have mitigated the impact, but this would cost half a billion euros and take years. ESO plans to cable 1,000 kilometers of its most critical lines by the end of the year.

Trees have fundamentally mangled the network.

โ€” Renaldas RadvilaExplaining the cause of the severe damage to the power grid.
About this summary

Originally published by Delfi in Lithuanian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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