- The drill involved simulating a fire outbreak that left three employees trapped, requiring the intervention of the 112 (Spain's emergency services), the Civil Guard, and the Fire Brigade.
Abel Bautista, Councillor of the Presidency, Interior and Social Dialogue of the Regional Government of Extremadura, attended the fire and evacuation drill held at the Orellana hydroelectric power plant, which aimed to test the efficacy of the Emergency Plans designed to prevent incidents. This is the first drill in this type of facility coordinated by 112 Extremadura in the region.
The Councillor was accompanied by Fernando Manzano, Secretary General of the Interior, Emergencies and Civil Protection; María Soledad Ponce, Director of the Emergency and Urgency Response Centre 112 of Extremadura; Pilar Carmona, mayor of Orellana, and Tomás Chica, Director of Endesa's Hydraulic Production Unit (South).
During the drill, Bautista confirmed the professionalism of the Spanish Law enforcement forces and agencies and of the healthcare services participating in this simulated emergency scenario, such as the Civil Guard, the Fire Brigade of the Provincial Council of Badajoz (CPEI), the Healthcare Service of Extremadura and the Red Cross of Extremadura. The Councillor stated that this type of situation allows an effective response to be prepared and guarantees the safety of citizens, to whom he conveyed that "this type of drill is essential to be prepared for an emergency situation".
For his part, Tomás Chica, director of Endesa's Hydraulic Production Unit in the South Zone, shared "the importance of these joint drills to act safely and effectively in the event of an incident, also minimising response time thanks to the coordination and collaboration between all the bodies that are activated".
The drill carried out today at the Orellana electrical facility required two members of the Civil Guard to manage access of the Emergency Services to the Hydroelectric Power Plant, two fire engines and a command vehicle with 10 people from the Fire Brigade, an ambulance, two doctors and a nurse, as well as a helicopter to transport the injured.
The drill began at 11:00, when a fire broke out in the regulation room of the turbine plant (floor -2), resulting in three employees becoming trapped. The first was trapped with burns of varying degrees due to the deflagration in the regulation room; the second due to an injury at the time of evacuation and the last due to the inhalation of smoke, which required the Fire Brigade's rescue teams to search for and evacuate this person.
The corresponding Emergency Plan and External Communication Plan was activated to achieve this from Endesa's Hydraulic Production Control Centre at the company's headquarters in Cordoba, and with the assistance of the Emergency services of Extremadura (112), which alerted the Fire Brigade, Law enforcement forces and agencies and Healthcare Services. This electrically isolates the area and creates a safe area for rescue operations and health services.
Up to 12 people intervene on-site during these situations, ensuring that the normal electricity supply is not interrupted and helping shorten the response times. These include the Emergencies supervisors at the hydraulic plants, first intervention teams and officers of the Company's Joint Prevention Service. Other technicians also work remotely to coordinate the plant's operations, creating safe zones from the Hydraulic Operations Control Centre.
Orellana Hydraulic Power Plant
The Orellana dam hydroelectric plant was built in 1961 and has an installed capacity of 18.53 MW, capable of supplying about 6,500 homes, or about 16,250 people. The facility collects the water from the Orellana reservoir, located at the base of the dam, using a power generator set to generate 21,800 KVA of electricity, with a nominal flow rate of 50 m3/s and a gross head of 44 metres. The dam is of the concrete gravity type, with a straight floor plan, a height above foundations of 63.50 metres, as well as a spillway with a maximum flow rate of 3200 m3/s.