Snowstorm Recovery: KTL restores power to ESB Networks customers

When Ireland was gripped by a relentless snowstorm that blanketed the country in white last week, ESB Networks called on KTL to mobilise its crews in Newcastle West, Co. Limerick on Sunday January 5th, to be ready to start work on Monday morning, January 6th.

This area was severely affected by the snow which made getting to thousands of faults difficult. KTL worked closely with ESB Network in freezing, challenging conditions to restore power to homes and businesses in this area.

Nationally ESB Networks had over 63,000 without power during peak of this snowstorm event.

A Storm of Challenges

The storm had a significant impact, resulting in fallen trees and mostly broken conductors on the network due to the weight of the ice loading and very low temperatures. These conditions, along with treacherous icy roads, created challenging conditions for our crews.

Some locations in the high hills and rural areas were difficult to reach due to heavy snowfall. However, our plant operators came into their own in these situations by clearing the roads of snow, enabling our crews to access the faults and restore power to these customers.

Bernard Downey, General Manager, KTL Power, “This was unlike any storms we have had in the past as getting to the faults was very difficult. It took the best part of a week to get all power restored and the team were out in freezing temperatures until all hours of the night making sure the power was reconnected as promptly as possible.”

Safety and Resilience in Action

Safety is at the forefront of everything we do. Despite the dangers and challenges of this weather, our team remained resilient, adhering to strict safety protocols.

Mike Tobin, Regional Manager at ESB Networks, aptly described the effort:“It is times like these that bring out the best in the partnership between ESB Networks and its framework contractors - dedicated, committed skilled staff working together to restore supply to our customers. The dedication and commitment to our customers really shines through, and due to the weather conditions the task of prompt restoration was never so important.

The commitment to working safely in these very challenging conditions, while also putting in very long hours, must also be commended and acknowledged.  I want to sincerely thank each, and every person involved.”

Bernard concluded, “To every individual involved, from crews to coordinators who faced the storm head-on – a huge thank you for your hard work, commitment and efforts.”

To find out more about KTL and its services go to ktl.ie/services