The Importance of Countermeasures On Counterterrorism and Sabotage To Power Transmission and Distribution Systems

摘要

The terrorist attack events frequently causing massive losses of human lives andprosperities have constantly occurred in these recent years. Governments around theworld have been making frantic efforts in response. We do not rule out the occurrence ofa large-scale devastating attacks launched by terrorists to power transmission anddistribution systems. The electric power generated from different levels of power plants(including nuclear, thermo and hydro power plants) has to be transmitted into switchyards and substations through overhead transmission lines and underground cablesseparately. Since all crucial facilities in systems (like overhead transmission lines &towers, switch yards, substations and underground cables etc.) are separately exposedto suburbs, mountain areas and undergrounds, the entire operation of the system mighteasily be shut down by terrorist attacks or sabotage. Once power transmission anddistribution systems (particularly focused on the key transmission tower, key substationand the key underground cable) have seriously been destroyed either by sabotage ornatural disaster, wide-region or regional power blackout would definitely happen andmight have a strong impact both on national security and society stability. The issues onhow to effectively prevent power transmission and distribution systems from beingdisrupted by internal or external factors have extensively been discussed for years byTaiwan Power. Based on the importance of the countermeasures on counterterrorism andsabotage to power transmission and distribution systems, we are glad to know thatPhysical Protection Technical Division of INMM has recently created a new topical area ofNuclear Infrastructure Security in response to the need of physical protection business.All the experts and specialists who are engaged in power security business from aroundthe world ought to be foresighted in doing their own jobs. Through series of discussionsand best practices to be held by Nuclear Infrastructure Security (NIS) of INMM, I stronglyhope that we attendees could acquire sufficient information and practical techniques inthis brand-new topical area.