In response to the devastating effects of Storm Ciarán in France, dozens of technicians from Ireland’s Electricity Supply Board (ESB) are being deployed to assist in power restoration efforts, reports RTE.
Gale force winds and gusts of up to 210 km/h hit the north-west of the country, causing widespread damage and leaving 1.2 million homes and businesses without electricity.
The storm, which occurred on Wednesday night, was particularly destructive in coastal regions where power lines and pylons were knocked down by falling trees. Although service has been restored to most of the impacted customers, 257,000 premises, particularly in Brittany and Normandy, remain without power, reports RTE.
French electricity supplier Enedis has sought assistance from the ESB to help repair the damage. In response, ESB Networks is sending 48 network technicians and support staff from across Ireland to support their French counterparts. Some of the crews are already en route to Cherbourg from Dublin Port, with more due to leave from Rosslare and Cork over the coming days.
The ESB has a history of responding to storm events in Ireland and supporting neighbouring countries if requested by electricity network operators following major storm damage. In 2021, ESB crews assisted in power restoration in England and Scotland following Storm Arwen and Storm Barra. The last time ESB staff were sent to France was in 1999, in response to an appeal for assistance from the French government.
This international cooperation is reciprocal. French crews have previously travelled to Ireland as part of this arrangement, providing considerable support to ESB Networks to restore electricity after Storm Ophelia in 2017, predominantly in west and north Cork. The current deployment is expected to last for about a week, reports RTE.
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