Enedis, the public company in charge of the French electricity network, quickly intervened. The problem came from the Champniers source substation, the device linking the current transmission network with the distribution network. “A train from the source substation has dropped, details Enedis. It is probably overheating, especially with the heat it is…”
The operations to restore power were essentially carried out remotely; six on-call technicians were nevertheless dispatched to the scene. “Usually, a technician is enough to restore the current on this type of accident. But with six we gain in efficiency »which is important on such large failures.
In the mountains, we wait for the current to pass
The Montagnes area in Champniers, where there are around sixty stores, was also hit by the blackout. Nathalie Witczack and Béatrice Navailles work at the ZinaZaCafé, in the lobby of Géant Casino. “Everything cut off when we were regarding to open. We no longer have ovens, no more payment terminals… So we’re waiting for it to come back! » Mac is waiting outside the cafe. On the move, he stays at the Ibis hotel in the commercial area, and hopes to be able to eat this evening. “I’ve been waiting for 30 minutes, if necessary I’ll stay until 9 p.m.! »
Less luck for Amaury, who works at Fnac. Customers were preparing to heat up the Credit Card, around 6:45 p.m.… just before the cash register and the TPE fell through. “I put their purchases aside for them, they will come and collect them tomorrow! » Amaury is therefore also waiting in front of his shop, which is plunged into darkness, lit by the light of the battery-powered computers. We had to be patient to close the box and the curtain.
