REN delivers vehicles to eight volunteer fire brigades

REN - Redes Energéticas Nacionais, delivered eight vehicles to eight fire brigades (Santiago do Cacém; Alcochete, Arraiolos; Lamego; Riba de Ave; Resende; Tábua and Celorico da Beira) within the scope of its policy of supporting the local communities and preventing forest fires.

The ceremony for the delivery of the vehicles' keys to the commanders of the fire brigades was carried out at REN's premises, in Sacavém, and included the presence of the Secretary of State for Civil Protection, José Artur Neves, of the President of the Portuguese Firefighter Association, Jaime Marta Soares, of the President of the National Civil Protection Authority, Lieutenant Mourato Nunes and President of the Institute for the Conservation of Nature and Forests, Rogério Rodrigues.

The Executive Director, João Conceição, mentioned that the donation of these vehicles 'is a contribution by the company to the important work that these brigades carry out'. João Conceição also explained that, concerning the prevention of fires, REN, which owns around 8,900 km of electric lines, with over 60% of them being in forest areas, 'has complied with all of its obligations in protecting the forest from fires. We foster our infrastructure as an asset in preventing and combating forest fires. This is a strategic and long-term work, which has been carried out in cooperation with the competent authorities. By keeping the lanes clean, we also enable access for the Firefighters and Civil Protection teams', emphasised REN's Executive Director. Between 2010 and 2017, REN cleaned around 33,000 ha of area in the access routes of its energy transmission infrastructure.

REN's action in defence of the forest:

•60% of infrastructure is in forest areas

•7,800 ha of access routes worked on in 2017 (21.3 ha per day)

•Since 2010, REN planted over 1 million native trees

•55 vehicles donated since 2009. 29 vehicles donated to Volunteer Firefighters and 26 to the municipalities' fire prevention teams.

•In the last 4 years, REN cleaned over 20,000 ha (an area corresponding to 20,000 football pitches). In 2017 alone, REN cleaned around 7,800 ha in a work that involved contact with about 28,000 landowners.

•This work is developed using over 200 employees from our service providers in the forest area and, in 2017 alone, required an investment of 6.1 million euros.

•In 2018, we intend to clean 20% more than in 2017.