Fires in Portugal: EDP Distribuição in the field with 600 Operational teams

Tuesday 17, October 2017

EDP Distribuição has mobilised and working on the ground around 600 operational teams in conjunction with Local Authorities, Councils and Civil Protection.

The fires that broke out in the country on 15 October significantly affected the electricity distribution network, even putting out of service the Aguieira, Mortágua, Candosa, Oliveira do Hospital and Mira substations, whose networks had already been recovered in the interim.


From the outset, EDP Distribuição has mobilised and working on the ground around 600 operational teams, who in conjunction with Local Authorities, Councils and Civil Protection, have concentrated their efforts so that, insofar as the roads allow traffic, the damage is identified in the networks and intervention takes place in order to carry out repairs.


Generators and Mobile Power Plants are already connected and / or are prepared for connection at the site of the most critical areas. Air resources are also being mobilised in order to support the reconnaissance and localisation of the damages sooner.


In the coming days, work will continue on the Low Voltage Network, which has also suffered very relevant and widely dispersed damage in several parts of the central region.


EDP Distribuição also warns everybody in areas affected by fires that for safety reasons, they should not touch any fallen lines and should also take care with the positioning of generators in poorly ventilated areas, as their inappropriate use can pose a health risk.


For more detailed and up-to-date information, refer to the EDP Distribuição website.


Mortágua Biomass Plant


The Mortágua Residual Forest Biomass Power Plant (BFR), owned by Altri and EDP, was affected by the fires that broke out last Sunday. None of the workers was injured, and the entire team present at the scene acted correctly in response to the events that followed. Material damage at the plant is under evaluation. The operation has been suspended until safety conditions can be assured. Altri and EDP are monitoring the situation, which is confined to the biomass park.