Portugal: who works there
Galp Energia, formed in 1999 from Petrogal, Gás de Portugal and Transgás, is Portugal's largest oil and gas group, with business units covering upstream, refining and midstream, commercial, and renewables.
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, aimed at the refining and polymer complex at Sines, the chemical plants at Estarreja and the pulp, cement and mining sites in between. Portugal aims to cover 80% of electricity consumption with renewables by 2030 and has developed a hydrogen strategy to reduce gas imports, which may add hydrogen-classified areas. Distribution partners for Portugal are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Portugal has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Ex marking | Group, category, protection concept, gas group, temperature class | II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 (target) |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC matched to the area drawing | IIC (target) |
| Temperature class | T-class below the ignition temperature of the gas | T4, 135 °C (target) |
| Where it applies | Portugal: Estarreja, Matosinhos and Leça, Setúbal and the Sado | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Portugal. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS Portugal market guide.
Galp Energia, formed in 1999 from Petrogal, Gás de Portugal and Transgás, is Portugal's largest oil and gas group, with business units covering upstream, refining and midstream, commercial, and renewables.
The Sines hard coal power plant operated from 1985-1989 until January 2021 and coal-fired generation ended in 2021, so former coal sites are being redeveloped.
Oil made up 44% of Portugal's total energy supply in 2023, so fuel storage, port terminals and distribution depots form a large part of the classified-area infrastructure.
In 2021 Portugal imported 2.8 billion cubic metres of LNG from Nigeria, almost 50% of its gas imports that year, so ship-to-shore LNG operations are central to gas supply.
“Ex-proof” is shorthand for equipment carrying an explosion-protection marking (the Ex mark) that matches the area it enters. The marking states the protection concept, gas or dust group and temperature class, and it must be backed by a certificate issued by a recognised body, so a phone described as Ex-proof should come with a certificate number you can check.
The IS-04Z1 is designed to carry the marking II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. That is a target: certification is in progress, no certificate has been issued, and SAMS will publish the certificate numbers when they exist.
In Portugal. A marking check in Portugal compares II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4 with the plant classification. Sines and Estarreja are the gas and vapour Zone 1 case. Pulp, cement and mineral processing make dust the defining zone, and a gas-only device is the wrong tool there, which is why the Zone 21 target matters.
Distribution of the IS-04Z1 is by authorised partners only, and SAMS has not yet granted a territory for Portugal. Each application is reviewed on its merits. Because opening a certified Ex handset in an ordinary workshop invalidates its certificate, the partner must be able to support and service the device locally.
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
No price is published. While certification is in progress there is no list price and no committed lead time, and a supplier quoting a firm figure for an uncertified Ex handset is promising something it cannot stand behind. Indicative pre-launch pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
The marking target is II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4. It becomes a marking only when the certificate is issued; until then it is a design target.
The market guide for Portugal covers Sines, ZILS Alentejo, Estarreja, Matosinhos and Leça, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Portugal.
Atlantic coastal sites are salt-laden and summers can be hot, so check the maximum ambient temperature on the certificate, the water and dust ingress rating and the condition of charging contacts. Sealed connectors and regular cleaning are typically recommended for coastal terminals.
Portugal has a hydrogen strategy aimed at reducing gas imports by 2030, so hydrogen projects may create new classified areas. Hydrogen belongs to a more demanding gas group than propane, so check the gas group marking of a device against the project's area classification.
Sites such as Sines or the Alentejo interior can be far from anyone who services equipment, so a reachable service route matters. SAMS has appointed no distributor yet. Before purchase, ask what repair, replacement and battery support would be available for your plant, and agree it in writing.
Related guides for Portugal and for Portugal.
Share the site details and quantity. You will get the datasheet and the certification schedule back by email; pricing is indicative only until launch.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.