Enel Rio has restored power to 93% of consumers affected by the severe storm, after mobilizing hundreds of technical teams to repair damage to the distribution network.
Enel Distribuição Rio reported that service was recovered for the vast majority of those impacted by the severe weather that struck the state. The storm caused significant damage to the electrical infrastructure, requiring a large-scale operational task force to reverse the damage caused by strong wind gusts and heavy rain.
The extreme weather event severely disrupted the company’s operations, leaving thousands of people in the dark. The municipalities of Magé, Duque de Caxias and São Gonçalo recorded the highest volumes of incidents and topped the list of regions that suffered supply interruptions.
Challenges in Rebuilding the Electrical Grid
The main cause of the damage was the fall of 185 large trees that collapsed directly onto the cables and structures of the medium- and low-voltage systems. The situation required the complete reconstruction of entire sections of the distribution network.
To accelerate repairs, the utility mobilized 920 field operational teams. The workforce also included 25 teams from São Paulo, who worked under adverse weather conditions as new precipitation hit the state of Rio during Sunday.
During the weekend, marked by the Enem exam, the service strategy prioritized health units, essential public services, and exam locations. Despite ongoing efforts, some consumers were still awaiting service restoration at the beginning of the week.
ANEEL Oversight and Monitoring
ANEEL closely monitors the company’s performance and confirmed receipt of a formal notice regarding the activation of the extreme level of the contingency plan. The notice was sent by the utility during the night the storm struck the state.
The regulatory agency noted that the data provided so far are preliminary. A thorough technical assessment will be conducted after the company submits its final reports.
The inspection will assess the response times of teams, the causes of failures, and compliance with current regulations. The regulatory procedure will measure the effectiveness of operational response amid severe climate impacts.