Depression Kristin

The Kristin Depression caused unprecedented damage on a large scale to different levels of the national electricity grid, simultaneously affecting several regions of the country, particularly the central region. 
With more than 1 million customers without power at the peak of the storm and more than 6,000 km of network affected, the phenomenon caused severe destruction and damage to lines, poles, substations and other equipment essential to the supply of energy, which in many cases requires not only repairs but also the reconstruction of sections of the network.

The damage was recorded in several regions of the country, with the highest incidence in the central region, namely in the districts of Leiria, Santarém, Castelo Branco, and Coimbra. 
 
The service is being restored in stages and varies depending on: 

- the extent of the damage;
- accessibility to affected locations;
- weather conditions;
- the technical complexity of repairs.  

Within the same region, there may be very different situations between localities.

Restoring power supply depends on several operational and safety factors.

In many places, before crews can repair the grid, trees or other debris must be removed, access must be ensured, and the safety of people and infrastructure must be assessed.  

When damage is extensive, as is the case here, it may be necessary to rebuild parts of the network, which requires more time and resources. In addition, weather conditions can also affect the work and force its temporary suspension to protect crews and populations.   

E-REDES mobilised a large-scale operation to respond to the damaged infrastructure and speed up the restoration of power.  

Technical teams, specialised resources and temporary solutions have been mobilised to reduce the impact on the population.

Some of these measures include: 

- More than 2,000 operational staff on the ground, reinforced by teams from different areas of Portugal and other countries;

- Use of drones and helicopters to identify damage in areas that are difficult to access;

- Installation of six mobile power stations and more than 500 generators to supply critical and priority areas;

- Laying of cables on the ground to replace sections with many destroyed poles, speeding up replacement.

- Tripled satellite communications capacity and Starlink kits installed in local operations to ensure continuous coordination.    

E-REDES currently has 2,400 operational staff mobilised, 2,100 of whom are directly in the field, working on repairing assets, removing debris and vegetation, and transporting generators and materials needed for the technical work required to restore the electricity network as quickly and effectively as possible. 

These workers were joined by a reinforcement contingent of 350 operational staff from Madeira, Spain, Italy, France, and Ireland. In addition, there are around 300 people in operation control centres, 100% dedicated to resolving this disaster, and all customer service operators in the contact centre.  

E-REDES has a team of outstanding professionals with whom it works in close collaboration and who are fully committed to restoring power in the areas affected by Storm Kristin.

The companies contracted by E-REDES are currently working closely together to restore normality as quickly and effectively as possible for those most affected by the power outage.

The electricity distribution network is designed, installed, and maintained in accordance with established safety rules, depending on the voltage level involved. In carrying out its activities, E-REDES strictly complies with the rules established by the legislator.

Depression Kristin had an unprecedented effect on the national electricity grid. The degree of predictability we had in light of the warnings issued was completely surpassed by the reality of the devastation the country faced. The storm caused extensive damage to the high, medium and low voltage networks, with 24 substations affected, more than 5,000 poles destroyed and more than 6,000 km of network damaged.

In view of the forecasts we had, E-REDES immediately and preventively activated the Operational Crisis Response Plan at the Disturbed level. On the 29th, a state of emergency was activated, mobilising an initial contingent of 1,200 operational staff, which was reinforced in the following days and now has more than 2,000 operational staff.  

Classification as an exceptional event allows its consequences to be excluded when verifying compliance with service quality standards.

Events that cumulatively meet the following characteristics may be considered exceptional:

- Low probability of occurrence of the event or its consequences;

- Cause a significant decrease in the quality of service provided;

- It is not reasonable, in economic terms, for network operators, suppliers or, in the case of autonomous regions, producers to avoid all of its consequences;

- The event and its consequences are not attributable to network operators, suppliers or, in the case of autonomous regions, producers.

Considering that these conditions are met, E-REDES will process the request for classification of recent events as exceptional.

Due to the sudden increase in calls during the Kristin Depression, E-REDES exceptionally reinforced its customer service. All available teams were mobilised and service partners were reinforced. Informative messages were also created on the helpline to speed up call routing and prioritise fault reporting. 

The effort significantly reduced average waiting times and increased the number of calls answered.  

At the same time, informational notices (SMS) were sent to customers and digital channels  (site, WhatsApp and Balcão Digital) were reinforced to facilitate the reporting of incidents and access to updated information. 

You can quickly report power outages through E-REDES' digital channels, which have greater capacity during high traffic situations: 

- WhatsApp: 913 846 398

- Site: www.e-redes.pt → option “I have no electricity”

- Fault Line: only to be used in emergencies in the most affected areas, due to the high volume of calls. 24-hour contact: 800 506 506 
 

These channels were reinforced during the Kristin Depression to ensure faster responses and avoid prolonged waiting times. 

Due to the extent of the damage caused by Storm Kristin, access to infrastructure is severely hampered by external factors such as blocked access routes, unstable weather conditions and large-scale damage requiring complete reconstruction of sections of the network. 
 

The service is being restored in stages and varies depending on:

- the extent of the damage;
- accessibility to the affected locations;
- weather conditions;
- the technical complexity of the repairs. 

Within the same region, there may be very different situations between localities. 

The Kristin depression corresponds to an external event unrelated to electricity distribution activities, the effects of which could not be controlled or prevented by E-REDES. For this reason, E-REDES cannot be held liable for any damage or loss incurred.  
If you still wish to receive this response in writing, please submit your request via this form. 

The information is updated whenever necessary on E-REDES' official channels, including website and linkedin.  
 

If you identify electrical infrastructure in this condition, stay away and report the situation immediately to E-REDES (800 506 506 or balcaodigital.e-redes.pt).

All reports will be duly recorded and followed up as quickly as possible, depending on resource management and the prioritisation of interventions.

No. There is no constraint in this regard. 

The underground network has advantages, but also limitations:

Advantages

- Greater resilience to extreme weather events.
- Less exposure to fires and falling trees.
- Less visual impact.  

Limitations:

- Significantly higher construction costs
- More complex and time-consuming works.
- Repairs are generally slower.  

The network development plans (PDIRD-E 2024 and 2020) provide for the progressive reinforcement and modernisation of the network, including more underground solutions wherever technically appropriate and economically viable.