Source: X, Metrovalencia (@metrovalencia)
The recent DANA that has affected the Valencian Community during the last week of October 2024 has caused extreme flooding and cut off the electricity supply to more than 155,000 households in the province of Valencia. Despite the magnitude of the disaster, a coordinated effort by Iberdrola and its distributor i-DE has succeeded in restoring electricity service to 99% of those affected, with approximately 1,500 customers still without service.
This recovery process has been made possible by a combination of technical deployment, the strategic use of generators in critical areas and the support of a large team of professionals.
How has the recovery of electricity been progressing?
Since the beginning of the floods, the i-DE team has been working to restore service at the most affected points. The company has mobilized, since the beginning of the storm, approximately 500 professionals to repair the affected facilities.
As the water receded, teams gained access to damaged facilities, and the company deployed portable generators in areas where network-based recovery was more complicated.
So far, i-DE has installed 80 generators in more than 100 key locations such as Alborache, Chiva, Buñol, Utiel and Montroy, among others. With these emergency measures, Iberdrola has managed to restore electricity to most households.
What have been the main challenges in recovering service?
The recovery of electricity has not been an easy task, largely because of the damage to infrastructure.
In areas such as Catadau, several supports of the electrical network collapsed due to the intensity of the storm, while the substation of Quart de Poblet was severely affected by the accumulation of water. The intervention of Red Eléctrica has been key in these cases, since the teams have installed emergency solutions to reinforce the network in seven substations in the region.
Limited accessibility to certain areas has slowed down the work, as still unstable terrain has made it difficult to transport heavy machinery needed for final repairs.
Most affected by DANA
What measures have been taken by the authorities and electricity companies to mitigate the impact on the population?
The lack of electricity in many municipalities has also impacted on access to safe drinking water, as treatment plants and water pumps depend on the power grid for their operation.
In response, several municipalities implemented measures such as reducing water pressure at night and creating drinking water distribution points. In places like Catarroja, Paiporta and Albal, over the last few days, tankers have been deployed and distribution centres set up to provide water and food to the local residents.
What is expected in the next stages of recovery?
The next goal for Iberdrola and its teams is to overhaul and repair the low-voltage grid, a more detailed process that requires specific interventions in each locality.
The company, together with the Emergency Control Centre of the Generalitat Valenciana, continues to mobilize resources to complete recovery in the coming weeks. Red Eléctrica, for its part, will continue to work on the stabilization of its lines and the reconstruction of the damaged high-voltage towers.
On the other hand, Naturgy claims that the gas network has not been damaged and the cuts being made are in response to requests from emergency services for safety reasons and represent minimal figures.
This episode of DANA has highlighted the importance of developing electrical infrastructure systems that are resilient to extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent in the context of climate change. In this vein, the drive towards renewable energies becomes even more important to curb global warming and reduce carbon footprint, thus mitigating the incidence of extreme events.
Source: https://www.papernest.es/blog/dana-valencia-recuperacion-suministro-electrico/
