Replacing the antennas of the SIRESP emergency communication network destroyed by the Kristin depression will cost “around six million euros”, the Minister of the Presidency said this Wednesday.
In a hearing at the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, António Leitão Amaro admitted that there was a failure by SIRESP during Storm Kristin.
The minister highlighted that, unlike occasions such as blackouts, the failure was due to the “physical destruction of SIRESP antennas”, the replacement of which costs “around six million euros”.
The government official added that the investment has already been approved by the executive.
On January 30th, The national commander of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) had already admitted the existence of specific failures in the State’s emergency and security communications network, noting that these were remedied using mobile stations.
“Obviously, a mobile station does not have the same capacity as a fixed station”, said Mário Silvestre, adding that “some of them were ripped out by the base” during the passage of depression Kristin through mainland Portugal.
In the blackout of April last year, SIRESP also failed and at the time the Government created a working group for “the urgent replacement” of this communications network, whose report was, according to a source linked to the process, completed in January.
In 2026, the company Siresp SA, which manages SIRESP, will receive compensatory compensation of 26 million euros to guarantee the management, operation and maintenance of the network, an identical value to previous years, the Government announced on January 30th.
If another entity is created to manage the communication network, the compensatory compensation approved on January 29 by the Council of Ministers will be transferred, a source linked to the process told Lusa.
Fifteen people have died in Portugal since January 28 following the passage of depressions Kristin, Leonardo and Marta, which also caused many hundreds of injuries and displacement.
The total or partial destruction of homes, businesses and equipment, the fall of trees and structures, the closure of roads, schools and transport services, and the cut of energy, water and communications, floods and floods are the main material consequences of the storm.
The Centro, Lisbon and Vale do Tejo and Alentejo regions are the most affected.
The Government extended the calamity situation until the 15th in 68 municipalities and announced support measures of up to 2.5 billion euros.
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