Civil protection operations in Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage

On Friday, October 23, JSC “Conexus Baltic Grid” (Conexus) in cooperation with the State Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) organizes a practical civil protection training in Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage in Ragana, Krimulda Municipality from 10:00 a.m. The alarm and notification system will be activated in the storage, operational vehicles of several services with activated sound and light signals will move across the storage territory, and people will be evacuated, thus temporary traffic restrictions on the motorway A3 Inčukalns – Valmiera – Estonia border (Valka) are possible. Citizens are asked not to worry. 

The training scenario foresees that there is a crack in gas pumping assembly in Inčukalns underground compressor unit with gas leakage resulting in a high risk fire.

The aim of the training is to test and improve the established procedures and measures in the event of a threat identified in Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage plan and beyond the civil protection plan of the object. Cooperation with rescue and emergency services as well as local authorities in disaster management measures in the event of industrial accidents will also be assessed.

Not only Conexus and SFRS will participate in the training, but also representatives of the State Police, the State Environmental Service, the Emergency Medical Service, local authorities and other concerned parties.

Rinalds Dimiņš, Head of Inčukalns Underground Gas Storage informs: "Safety is the priority for our activities, so we organize civil protection operations in a hazardous facility once every three years. It is an important exercise to be prepared for emergencies, by assessing not only the skills and action of the storage staff in emergency localizing, alerting and dealing with the consequences of the emergency, but also to analyze the cooperation among all the bodies involved."

The training providers ask the citizens not to worry, and remind that no action is needed, as there will be no harm to the surrounding inhabitants and the environment during the operations.

The operations are organized, complying with the national epidemiological conditions.