Portugal launches €22.6bn resilience plan

Portugal’s government has launched a €22.6 billion resilience programme after winter storms and last year’s Iberian blackout exposed weak points in the country’s infrastructure. (reuters.com) Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s government said the spending will be rolled out over nine years and funded by the state budget, European funds and some private co-financing. (reuters.com) The package was drawn up after severe storms hit central mainland Portugal in January and February, with the government estimating the damage at €5.3 billion. (reuters.com) It also follows the April 28, 2025 blackout that cut power across continental Spain and Portugal at 12:33 CEST, with brief disruption in southwest France. (entsoe.eu) Portugal’s plan covers risks beyond extreme weather, including power outages, earthquakes, cyberattacks and pressure on water systems. (reuters.com) A Portuguese parliamentary working group has proposed 72-hour power autonomy for key services, an independent alert system and an overhaul of SIRESP, the country’s emergency communications network. (euronews.com) Spain has also changed how it runs the grid since the outage, adding operating costs of about €666 million between May 2025 and March 2026 as it kept more backup generation available. (theolivepress.es) The 2025 outage carried an immediate economic hit. Spain’s main business lobby CEOE estimated the blackout would shave about €1.6 billion, or 0.1%, off gross domestic product. (reuters.com) One year later, Portugal is putting a price on avoiding a repeat: more public spending, more backup capacity and stricter emergency planning. (reuters.com)