Power cut emergency response plan

The emergency response plan in the event of a power cut ('power cut emergency response plan') defines the actions that the government should take in the event of a major attack on public and/or private sector energy supply systems (electricity and gas) or a major incident which leads to a significant disruption to energy supplies.

Given the multitude of incidents that could occur and their varied impacts and repercussions, this plan provides those tasked with executing it with the tools they need to be able to react in an appropriate and flexible manner to the events and to provide the best possible protection for the citizens or sectors affected, their vital interests and the nation's economy.

The power cut emergency response plan aims to:

• set the bodies that will manage the crisis,
• set preventative and protective measures
• and establish the alert procedures in the event of an emergency.

The power cut emergency response plan applies in an emergency.

An emergency is deemed to be a serious disruption to energy supplies resulting from a major incident or attack which could cause the energy supply systems to malfunction significantly or cease to work entirely, which threatens the vital interests or essential needs of all or part of the country or population of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.

The Crisis Cell (Cellule de crise, CC) is activated by the Prime Minister in the event that a crisis is imminent or has occurred. It initiates, coordinates and monitors the execution of all the measures intended to deal with the crisis and its effects in order to return the situation to normal. It prepares the necessary decisions and submits them to the government for approval. In the event that operational intervention is required on the ground, the CC's mission extends to coordinating and monitoring its execution.

The following measures are set out by the plan:

• an evaluation of the situation and the impact of a major incident or attack on the national economy and society: the regions affected, the length of the disruption to the supply and the degree of urgency according to the scale and duration;
• implementation of the recovery code which includes a series of measures that aim to progressively restore the electricity system following a blackout, applying a set procedure in a pre-determined order;
• application of the load shedding plan for electricity networks enabling the electricity supply to all or some of the networks' users to be temporarily restricted or suspended, on the condition that the nation's basic needs are met.

The recovery code is an operational code to restore the electricity system back to working order following a total or partial blackout.

The recovery code sets in particular the operational procedures that apply to the manager of the Creos network and the users of the Creos transport and distribution networks when all or part of the Creos electricity system must be recovered.

The following measures are set out by the plan:

• an evaluation of the situation and the impact of a major incident or attack on the national economy and society: the regions affected, the length of the disruption to the supply and the degree of urgency according to the scale and duration;
• implementation of the gas emergency plan which defines the specific measures to be implemented to eliminate or mitigate the impact of supply disruptions;
• application of the natural gas network load shedding plan which enables the natural gas supply to all or some of the users of the natural gas networks to be temporarily restricted or suspended, all the while ensuring consumer safety.

Article 4 of the European Parliament and Council regulation No. 994/2010 of 20 October 2010 concerning measures to safeguard security of gas supply calls for a national emergency plan to be established.

The emergency plan must contain measures to be taken to eliminate or mitigate the impact of disruptions to the energy supply.

The implementation of the gas emergency plan will enable the situation to be controlled and measures to be taken to restore the power supply.

Depending on the circumstances, restoring power can take several hours, and in some extreme cases several days.

The implementation of the Recovery Code by CREOS Luxembourg S.A. will enable the situation to be managed and power to be restored.

Depending on the circumstances, restoring power can take several hours, and in some extreme cases several days.

On the condition that the gas infrastructure has not been seriously damaged, the implementation of the gas emergency plan will, in the majority of cases, enable the situation to be managed and supply re-established.

Depending on the circumstances, restoring the gas supply can take several hours, and in some extreme cases several days.

Load shedding is a sensitive organised procedure to reduce energy consumption which can be launched by the manager of a transport or distribution network in order to deal with an exceptional, significant, announced or foreseeable situation which endangers supply security, the integrity of the networks and the physical security or safety of individuals.

It consists of temporarily limiting or suspending the energy supply to all or some of the networks' users, all the while ensuring consumer safety. The load shedding plan is an operational document developed in collaboration with the different managers of the transport and distribution networks in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, in accordance with the amended law of 1st August 2007 regarding the organisation of the electricity market (A-°152 of 21/08/2007) and the amended law of 1 August 2007 on the organisation of the natural gas market (A-°153 of 21/08/2007).

Load shedding is a tool of last resort for the managers of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg's energy networks to prevent major incidents and limit any consequences if they occur. It completes the arsenal of tools available to network managers to ensure their networks are safeguarded.

The wider public will be informed of the changing situation by the government and via the website www.infocrise.lu, as well as of any protective measures put in place, conduct to adopt and the stages to re-establish the supply.