How LiDAR is transforming security for Europe’s power grid

SJA speaks exclusively with Martin Vojtek, Business Director for Hexagon‘s Safety, Infrastructure and Geospatial division about how 3D surveillance is creating a new standard for substation resilience.

As threats to critical infrastructure grow and regulations tighten, utilities are under pressure to modernise the way they protect their assets.

LiDAR-based 3D surveillance is emerging as a transformative solution, offering not just perimeter protection but full-site visibility, advanced analytics and integrated safety features.

How does Hexagon’s LidarVision support EG.D’s long-term strategy for smarter, safer energy infrastructure?

HxGN dC3 LidarVision is designed to strengthen the resilience of critical infrastructure by moving beyond traditional fence-line protection to secure entire facilities.

For utilities like EG.D, which serves 2.7 million people in the Czech Republic, that means real-time insight into everything happening on-site, from the number of people present to their location, speed and movement trajectories.

Substations are among the most critical elements of a nation’s infrastructure and with Europe’s security situation becoming increasingly unstable, they need stronger protection than ever before.

LidarVision provides full-site awareness in real-time.

A key part of this approach is the use of digital twins. Already during the design phase, engineers can create a virtual model of the substation, test different scenarios, identify blind spots and optimise sensor placement before anything is installed on-site.

In one large substation, this proved highly effective: full visibility of all entry and exit points was achieved with just five LiDAR sensors.

The entire installation was completed in only a few days, using existing cable infrastructure and integrating seamlessly with EG.D’s PTZ cameras.

Another advantage of LidarVision is its ability to unify security and safety. Facilities can be divided into clearly defined zones (operational, safe, or restricted) ensuring workers remain in protected areas while unauthorised access is immediately detected and addressed.

Beyond permanent deployments, EG.D is also investing in our mobile surveillance systems, which can be rapidly deployed in emergencies or extraordinary situations.

Together, these capabilities align perfectly with EG.D’s long-term strategy: building a smarter, more flexible and safer energy infrastructure ready to face the challenges of the future.

What makes LiDAR-based 3D surveillance like LidarVision more effective than traditional monitoring solutions?

A: LiDAR-based 3D surveillance is setting a completely new standard for protecting critical infrastructure.

While traditional technologies such as camera systems, radars or microwave barriers can only secure a narrow zone or provide a limited view of the situation, LiDAR delivers reliable spatial detection across the entire facility. It can capture movement in real-time, showing exactly where an object is and what trajectory it follows.

Events are displayed directly in the digital twin of the site, giving operators immediate awareness of the number of intruders, their locations and their direction of movement.

The system is designed to perform reliably even in adverse weather conditions such as rain or snow — situations where conventional camera systems quickly lose effectiveness.

The solution also includes intelligent object detection: it can distinguish between a human, an animal or a vehicle, dramatically reducing false alarms.

Unlike video analytics, which are sensitive to light conditions and visual noise, LiDAR remains consistent and compared to radar, it offers precise spatial information including an object’s:

• Height
• Size
• Trajectory
• Speed

This combination of reliability, accuracy and clarity makes LiDAR-based 3D surveillance the new standard for protecting substations and other critical assets.

How does LidarVision integrate with EG.D’s existing digital platforms and smart grid systems?

Integration is at the heart of our approach.

LidarVision directly displays intruders as 3D bounding boxes generated by LiDAR sensors, while also integrating other technologies such as fence vibration detectors.

All of these events are presented in the site’s digital twin, giving operators an immediate and intuitive understanding of what is happening.

Beyond that, LidarVision can also serve as the visualisation layer for Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) systems, which orchestrate subsystems like access control (ACS) or fire alarms.

When an alarm is triggered in any of these systems, LidarVision highlights the exact location of the event in the digital twin. This gives operators true situational awareness — not just an alert, but also its spatial context.

Due to its unique three-dimensional visualisation, LidarVision should always sit on top of the security architecture.

It is not just another subsystem, it’s the primary security platform that unifies data streams and delivers a comprehensive, real-time picture of the site.

This accelerates incident response and strengthens the overall resilience of the energy infrastructure.

How do you see the partnership with EG.D shaping the adoption of 3D surveillance in the energy sector across Europe?

The partnership with EG.D is significant not only for the Czech Republic but for the entire European energy sector.

EG.D became one of the first major utilities to prove in real-world operations that 3D surveillance powered by LiDAR technology can dramatically reduce false alarms, enhance situational awareness and protect both infrastructure and on-site personnel.

The results have been so compelling that EG.D is now expanding the system across additional substations sending a strong signal to other utilities that this is a tested and practical solution.

Equally important, EG.D is actively sharing its experience with peers across Europe, as well as in the US and Asia-Pacific.

As a result, this approach is rapidly emerging as the new gold standard for energy security.

The partnership with EG.D is not just a local success story; it is accelerating global adoption of 3D surveillance and demonstrating that this is the future of safety and security in the energy sector.

What emerging trends do you see shaping the future of 3D surveillance in the energy sector?

In more than 20 years in the security industry, I believe we are now experiencing the most profound shift.

The future of 3D surveillance will be defined by the convergence of three technologies: LiDAR detection, digital twins and artificial intelligence.

Together, they create not just a security system but a living digital model of the entire site, one that can detect threats, track activity and even simulate incidents before they occur.

We are also seeing a growing emphasis on worker safety.

Utilities are beginning to use 3D surveillance to establish dynamic safety zones, such as beneath power lines or around high-voltage equipment.

If a worker enters a restricted zone, the system immediately triggers a warning with sensitivity precise enough to detect even small gestures, such as a hand moving toward a live conductor.

Another powerful driver is regulation. The EU’s Critical Entities Resilience Directive is pushing utilities to adopt technologies that deliver greater transparency, control and resilience.

Looking ahead, I see the future in adaptive systems that unify security and safety into a single platform.

Such solutions go beyond preventing intrusions as they provide comprehensive situational awareness and full preparedness for any extraordinary event.