COLD DROP: IBERDROLA ESPAÑA’S RESPONSE
Update on Iberdrola España's mobilisation to help those affected by the severe weather event in Valencia and in other affected areas of the country.
Find out how Iberdrola España has mobilised to help and support all those affected in different areas of the country by the storm, which hit the province of Valencia especially hard.
To respond to the devastation wrought by the cold drop that hit southeast Spain, Iberdrola España – through its distribution company i-DE – has carried out a series of interventions to help and support all those affected by the severe weather event, especially in the province of Valencia.
The generation business is working in a coordinated manner since the beginning of the storm. In this regard, the main generation plants in the C. Valenciana (Cofrentes nuclear power plant, La Muela pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant and Castellón combined cycle plant) were essential to guarantee the electricity supply and avoid a general blackout in the area.
Iberdrola España is in constant contact with the public administrations (at the state, regional and local levels) to report on the situation and progress. Iberdrola España continues to be in permanent contact with the different public administrations (state, regional and local) to report on the situation and its evolution. The company, in collaboration with the Generalitat Valenciana and the Federación Empresarial Metalúrgica Valenciana (FEMEVAL), has sent brigades of electrical installers to the buildings and homes affected by the floods to check and repair the electrical installations and check the electrical panels.
Support for those affected by the severe weather event from the Iberdrola Group
The Iberdrola Group has demonstrated its commitment to those affected by the cold drop since the beginning of the storm. Through various interventions, we have worked to offer support and effective solutions to the affected communities. In the following carousel of images, you can see how Iberdrola España workers have intervened in the affected areas.
Iberdrola España has also held meetings at all its offices in Spain to show its support for the people affected by the event.
Up-to-date information on measures taken by Iberdrola España since the beginning of the cold drop weather event
Below are some of the measures taken by Iberdrola España since the start of the event.
Data updated on 20 March 2025
- Iberdrola España making good progress in the redesign of the electricity grid affected by the cold drop
Iberdrola España continues to make progress on the work to redesign the electricity grid in the area affected by the cold drop. The company, through i-DE, the group's distribution company, has completed 20% of the il-lumina plan to build a grid of the future in the area.
During these first months, the more than 150 transformer stations were refurbished and cleaned and more than 165 medium-voltage line supports that were damaged by the accumulation of water and mud and by the current from the flood were built.
In high voltage installations, the company prioritised the reconstruction of the ten or so pylons affected by the tornadoes that passed through the vicinity of the Carlet and Catadau substations to normalise electricity supply in the area.
The company has gathered all the material necessary to be able to undertake the project, both in terms of transformer substations and the low and medium voltage grid, as well as substations.
According to Ignacio García Bosch, head of the il-lumina plan, ‘we’re right on schedule and we’re still on track to reach 90% of full project execution in 2025 and finish it in 2026. We’re holding regular meetings with the different public administrations and are informing them about our activities and investments we are making and our needs to be able to get this project done as quickly as possible’.
- Ignacio Galán, Executive Chairman of the Iberdrola Group, holds a meeting with the President of the Valencian Government
The Executive Chairman of the Iberdrola Group, Ignacio Galán, held a meeting with the president of the Valencian Government, Carlos Mazón, to analyze the work being done to refit the areas affected by the cold drop.
During the meeting, Mazón and Galán discussed the il-lumina project, through which the Iberdrola Group, of which Iberdrola España forms part, is going to invest €100 M in the Region to redesign the electricity distribution grid and make it more resilient and robust.
Mazón thanked the Iberdrola España employees for the work carried out after the floods to help residents get back to normal. The company mobilised more than 500 workers from different parts of the country to restore service to the approximately 180,000 customers affected, managing to restore it to 100% in just 72 hours.
The impact of the company's activity in the Valencian Region amounted to €875 M in 2023 and its fiscal contribution was more than €320 M. Iberdrola España invested more than €265 M and purchased of €185 M from 422 local suppliers.
- Iberdrola España invests 100 million euros in the redesign of the electricity grid affected by the DANA
Iberdrola España has presented in Valencia the il.lumina project, in which it will invest 100 million euros to redesign the electrical distribution network affected by the DANA on October 29th in the province. The CEO of Iberdrola España, Mario Ruiz-Tagle, accompanied by Eva Mancera, the CEO of i-DE, Iberdrola España's distribution company, has detailed the company's investment plan as well as the actions undertaken so far.
In the words of Mario Ruiz-Tagle, “although the company, despite the enormous difficulties, was able to restore practically the entire electricity supply in less than 72 hours, at this time it is a priority to look to the future and to have an even more efficient distribution network”. For the Iberdrola España executive, “the agile performance of the more than 500 workers mobilized from different parts of Spain and the investment in grid technology made in recent years were decisive in those exceptional circumstances”.
The company has now created a team of 35 people who are dedicated exclusively to the il.lumina project, which is divided into five operational areas under the same management and has seven support areas to coordinate the work of the approximately 1,000 workers from contractor companies that will be required, most of whom will be locally based. The creation of a department dedicated exclusively to this plan is allowing i-DE to continue developing the rest of its investments in the Valencian Community normally.
Regarding the execution period, Iberdrola España has already started at the end of 2024 with the different phases of the project with the recovery of the 132 kilovolt (kV) high voltage infrastructure in the area of Catadau and Carlet and has already gathered all the necessary material to be able to develop it, both in the section of transformation centers and low and medium voltage network, as well as in the substations. The forecast is to reach 90% of the project's execution in 2025 and to finish throughout 2026.
- More than 99% of electricity restored for customers affected by the cold drop in the province of Valencia.
I-DE, Iberdrola España’s distribution company, has already restored almost all the electricity supply in the affected municipalities since the beginning of the severe weather event.
The company is focusing its efforts on setting up generator sets and on checking and repairing of the affected low voltage network, which entails occasional power cuts.
Any customers who are still without electricity despite the power being on in their area should contact an authorised electrical installer since the problem may be with the individual installation or in the apartment complex if it is a block of flats.
The company has already contacted the corresponding administrations and associations of installers, which have already started to help coordinate the work to restore service to individual customers.
Since the beginning of the event, i-DE has mobilised a total of approximately 500 people from the Valencian Community and from other regions of the rest of Spain to repair the affected facilities.
As part of this response, customer service channels have also been ramped up, information is being kept up-to-date on digital channels, and communications (e-mails and text messages) have been sent to affected customers.
The company is in constant contact with the public administrations (at the state, regional and local levels) to report on the situation and progress.
- More than 99% of electricity restored for customers affected by the cold drop in the province of Valencia.
I-DE, Iberdrola España’s distribution company, has already restored almost all the electricity supply in the affected municipalities since the beginning of the severe weather event and continues to send its workers to those towns in need to restore service. There are now only 1,500 customers without service.
The company has 80 generators that are being connected in those areas where it is technically possible. The sets have already been connected in more than 100 locations (they are removed as soon as power is restored and set up again when needed) in the affected localities of Alborache, Alfafar, Alginet, Benifaió, Bugarra, Buñol, Cheste, Chiva, Gestalgar, Quart de Poblet, Montserrat, Montserrat and Montserrat, Buñol, Cheste, Chiva, Gestalgar, Quart de Poblet, Montroy, Paiporta, Pedralba, Picassent, Real, Ríbarroja, Siete Aguas, Torrent and Utiel, among others, and work is ongoing in the remaining towns where there are still customers without service.
In addition to the installation of the sets, in many of the affected towns electricity has been turned back on through the existing grid and, with most service restored, work is now focusing on checking and repairing the low-voltage electricity grid, which is a more labour-intensive and complicated process and entails minor disruptions to supply.
The company, in coordination with the Emergency Control Centre of the Valencian Government, continues to programme interventions to get the power back on at installations that supply the water treatment plants for municipalities hit the hardest.
Since the beginning of the deployment, i-DE has mobilised a total of approximately 500 people from both the Valencia region and other areas in the rest of Spain to repair affected installations.
As part of this response, our customer service channels have also been ramped up, information has been kept up-to-date on its digital channels, and communications (e-mails and text messages) have been sent to affected customers.
The company is in constant contact with the public administrations (at the state, regional and local levels) to report on the situation and progress.
- More than 98% of electricity restored for customers affected by the cold drop in the province of Valencia.
I-DE, Iberdrola España's distribution company, has successfully restored electricity to more than 98% of those initially affected and continues to send its workers to those towns in need to restore service. There are now only 2,000 customers without service.
The company has 80 generators that are being connected in those areas where it is technically possible. The sets have already been connected in more than 100 locations (they are removed as soon as power is restored and set up again when needed) in the affected localities of Alborache, Alfafar, Alginet, Benifaió, Bugarra, Buñol, Cheste, Chiva, Gestalgar, Quart de Poblet, Montserrat, Montserrat and Montserrat, Buñol, Cheste, Chiva, Gestalgar, Quart de Poblet, Montroy, Paiporta, Pedralba, Picassent, Real, Ríbarroja, Siete Aguas, Torrent and Utiel, among others, and work is continuing in the remaining towns where there are still customers without service.
In addition to the installation of the sets, in many of the affected towns electricity has been turned back on through the existing grid and, with most service restored, work is now focusing on checking and repairing the low-voltage electricity grid, which is a more labour-intensive and complicated process and entails minor disruptions to supply.
The company, in coordination with the Emergency Control Centre of the Valencian Government, continues to programme interventions to get the power back on at installations that supply the water treatment plants for municipalities hit the hardest.
Since the beginning of the deployment, i-DE has mobilised a total of approximately 500 people from both the Valencia region and other areas in the rest of Spain to repair affected installations.
As part of this response, our customer service channels have also been ramped up, information has been kept up-to-date on its digital channels, and communications (e-mails and text messages) have been sent to affected customers.
The company is in constant contact with the public administrations (at the state, regional and local levels) to report on the situation and progress.
- More than 95% of electricity restored for customers affected by the cold drop in the province of Valencia.
I-DE, Iberdrola España’s distribution company, has successfully restored electricity to more than 148,000 customers in the province of Valencia, more than 95% of those initially affected, and continues to deploy its workers to those towns in need to restore service.
The company has 80 generators that are being connected in those areas where it is technically possible. The sets have already been connected in more than 100 locations (they are removed as soon as power is restored and set up again when needed) in the affected localities of Alborache, Alfafar, Alginet, Benifaió, Bugarra, Buñol, Cheste, Chiva, Gestalgar, Quart de Poblet, Montserrat, Montserrat and Montserrat, Buñol, Cheste, Chiva, Gestalgar, Quart de Poblet, Montroy, Paiporta, Pedralba, Picassent, Real, Ríbarroja, Siete Aguas, Torrent and Utiel, among others, and work is continuing in the remaining towns where there are still customers without service.
In addition to the installation of the sets, in many of the affected towns electricity supply has been turned back on through the existing grid and, with most service restored, work is now focusing on checking and repairing the low-voltage electricity grid, which is a more labour-intensive and complicated process and entails minor disruptions to supply.
The company, in coordination with the Emergency Control Centre of the Valencian Government, continues to programme actions to get the power back on in the installations that supply the water treatment plants for municipalities hit the hardest.
Since the beginning of the deployment, i-DE has mobilised a total of approximately 500 people from both the Valencia region and other areas in the rest of Spain to repair affected installations.
As part of this response, our customer service channels have also been ramped up, information has been kept up-to-date on its digital channels, and communications (e-mails and text messages) have been sent to affected customers.
The company is in constant contact with the public administrations (at the state, regional and local levels) to report on the situation and progress.
- More than 90% of electricity restored for customers affected by the cold drop in the province of Valencia.
I-DE, Iberdrola group’s distribution company, has successfully restored electricity to more than 140,000 customers in the province of Valencia, more than 90% of those initially affected. The company continues to those towns in need to restore service as access and installation conditions allow.
The company has 80 generators that it is connecting in those areas where it is technically possible. More than 44 of these sets have already been connected in the affected towns of Alborache, Alfafar, Alginet, Benifaió, Bugarra, Buñol, Cheste, Chiva, Gestalgar, Quart de Poblet, Montroy, Pedralba, Picassent, Real, Ríbarroja, Siete Aguas, Torrent and Utiel, among others, and work is continuing in the rest of the towns that are still without service.
In addition to the installation of the generators, many of the affected villages are being restored to the existing grid for power.
The company, in coordination with the Emergency Control Centre of the Valencian Government, continues to programme interventions to get the power back on in the installations that supply the water treatment plants for municipalities hit the hardest.
Since the beginning of the deployment, i-DE has mobilised a total of approximately 500 people from both the Valencia region and other regions in the rest of Spain, including its own personnel and contractors, to repair the affected installations as soon as they can be accessed.
As part of this response, our customer service channels have also been ramped up, information has been kept up-to-date on its digital channels, and communications (e-mails and text messages) have been sent to affected customers.
The company is in constant contact with the public administrations (at the state, regional and local levels) to report on the situation and progress.
- I-DE, Iberdrola España’s distribution company, has successfully restored electricity to half (more than 77,000 customers) of those initially affected in the province of Valencia.
The company continues to work to restore service as it gains access to the affected facilities and has already stockpiled approximately 50 generators for connection to the grid as soon as conditions permit.
Since the start of the severe weather event, the company has mobilised a total of approximately 500 people from both the Valencia region and other areas in the rest of Spain to repair affected installations as soon as access is possible.
As part of this response, our customer service channels have also been ramped up, information has been kept up-to-date on its digital channels, and communications (e-mails and text messages) have been sent to affected customers.
The company is in constant contact with the public administrations (at the state, regional and local levels) to report on the situation and progress.
- I-DE, Iberdrola España’s distribution company, has successfully restored electricity to half (more than 77,000 customers) of those initially affected in the province of Valencia.
The company continues to work to restore service as it gains access to the affected facilities and has already stockpiled approximately 50 generators for connection to the grid as soon as conditions permit.
Since the start of the severe weather event, the company has mobilised a total of approximately 500 people from both the Valencia region and other areas in the rest of Spain to repair affected installations as soon as access is possible.
As part of this response, our customer service channels have also been ramped up, information has been kept up-to-date on its digital channels, and communications (e-mails and text messages) have been sent to affected customers.
The company is in constant contact with the public administrations (at the state, regional and local levels) to report on the situation and progress.
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