- During this forum the foundations were established to address situations when UME troops could work in installations where there is electrical risk, as well as the precautions they should take to be able to work safely.
- This meeting was one of a series of initiatives taken by Endesa with regard to the summer season and included coordination actions with regional bodies and the fine tuning of electricity infrastructures to ensure that the grid works correctly during the summer.
Endesa and the Military Emergency Unit (UME in Spanish) held a forum at Endesa's headquarters in Seville to analyse possible electrical risk situations that may arise during an emergency and to coordinate joint actions in the area affected.
The meeting was held at the Operation Centre for the Endesa Red Eléctrica in Andalusia and Extremadura and it was attended by Endesa's General Manager in Andalusia, Extremadura, Ceuta and Melilla, Rafael Sánchez Durán, the Manager of Infrastructure and Networks in Andalusia and Extremadura, Emilio Jiménez Criado and Lieutenant Colonel José Alberto Gallego López, commanding officer of the 2nd Battalion of the UME. During the visit they were accompanied by the Head of Operations and Maintenance for the network in Andalusia and Extremadura, Carlos Javier Muñoz Domínguez and those responsible for the high- and medium-voltage control centre, who were responsible for explaining to six members of the UME the work in real time undertaken by the professionals in charge of the operation and supervision of all Endesa's installations in Andalusia and Extremadura.
With regard to this, they also learned how Endesa detects incidents in the distribution network and how it coordinates with the technical maintenance and repair brigades to enable them to take action in the field.
After this first encounter with the activity of the energy sector and the operation of a high-, medium- and low-voltage network, work was undertaken with regard to those situations where Endesa's technicians could require the presence of EMU personnel in the event of extreme events such as floods, forest fires or earthquakes. This coordination is essential to access areas that are isolated and without electricity after an emergency situation, in order to reduce the time taken to restore this essential service for citizens.
Emergency actions were also addressed that could be undertaken by the UME troops in the vicinity of installations where there was electrical risk and the importance of taking precautions such as maintaining a safety distance of more than 5 metres for high-voltage towers of more than 66 kilovolts.
Both Endesa and the UME valued this meeting very positively as it consolidated a trajectory for collaboration which they have been developing for a number of years through training talks, with the aim of strengthening their relationship and promoting joint actions in case of emergency.
Summer Plan Actions
This meeting was one of a series of initiatives taken by Endesa with regard to the summer season and included coordination actions with regional bodies and the fine tuning of electricity infrastructures to ensure that the grid works correctly during the summer.
Felling and Pruning
Endesa performed felling and pruning actions along 48,000 kilometres of lines that run right through the Andalusian territory. The aim of this work is to guarantee the quality and continuity of the electricity supply and minimise the risk of fire in the forest masses surrounding the power lines. All this in accordance with the criteria of national regulations, the growth calendar for the different species and working in collaboration with the agents in each territory.
Use of helicopters: Thermography
As a preventive measure, the company's maintenance programmes for the power lines include inspections using helicopters carrying thermal imaging cameras which can detecting whether or not there is a hot spot in the cable (where the temperature is higher than that of the cable itself and there is a risk of overheating). When an anomaly such as a "hot spot" is detected, the coordinates are recorded and a mechanism is automatically activated so it can be remedied quickly. This predictive, preventative maintenance programme helps avoid possible future incidents.
About Endesa
Endesa is a leading electricity company in Spain and the second largest in Portugal. The company is also the second largest gas operator in the Spanish market. Endesa operates an end-to-end electricity generation, distribution and marketing business. Through Endesa X it also offers value-added services aimed at the electrification of energy usage in homes, companies, industries and Public Administrations. It is also the leading operator of charging stations in Spain through Endesa X Way, a business line dedicated entirely to electric mobility. Endesa is firmly committed to the United Nations SDGs and strongly supports the development of renewable energies through Enel Green Power España, the digitalisation of grids through e-distribución, and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The Endesa Foundation is also active in CSR. Our workforce numbers around 9,260 employees. Endesa is a division of Enel, Europe’s largest electricity group.