Portugal: infrastructure
The Sines LNG import terminal has three storage tanks with a total capacity of 390,000 cubic metres and regasification capacity of 5.6 million tonnes a year, making Sines Portugal's key gas import site.
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. 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. 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.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Protection concept | Flameproof (Ex d) or intrinsic safety (Ex i) | Intrinsic safety, level ib |
| Zone suitability | Zone 1 gas and Zone 21 dust | Design target for Zone 1 and 21 |
| Certificate | Number, issuing body and schedule of conditions | In progress; not issued |
| 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.
The main operators, industrial areas and sites that the SAMS Portugal market guide covers.
The Sines LNG import terminal has three storage tanks with a total capacity of 390,000 cubic metres and regasification capacity of 5.6 million tonnes a year, making Sines Portugal's key gas import site.
In 2000 about 85% of Portugal's energy was imported, so most fuel and gas reaches the country through port terminals rather than domestic fields.
Sines on the Atlantic coast hosts an important oil refinery and several petrochemical industries.
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.
“Explosion proof” is the phrase most buyers use for equipment that may be taken into a classified hazardous area. Strictly, it covers several protection concepts: a flameproof enclosure (Ex d) contains an internal explosion, while intrinsic safety (Ex i) limits electrical energy so that an ignition cannot start. Phones are normally intrinsically safe, because a flameproof handset would be too heavy to carry all shift.
The IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, with a marking target of Ex ib IIC T4, and is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21. It is pre-launch, certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued.
In Portugal. People at Sines say explosion proof, but the concepts differ. Flameproof Ex d suits fixed motors and instruments, while the IS-04Z1 uses intrinsic safety, Ex ib. That suits a handset carried through a refinery, the polymer complex or the LNG terminal, where one person moves between many areas in a shift.
SAMS is appointing authorised distributors ahead of the Q4 2026 launch. No territory has been granted for Portugal yet and applications are reviewed company by company. Because a certified Ex device cannot be opened by an ordinary phone workshop without invalidating its certificate, SAMS looks for partners who can provide competent technical support and after-sales service locally.
Not yet. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and its certification is still in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. No unit goes into a classified area before the certificate covering it exists. The datasheet, the certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
It is intrinsically safe (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), which is the usual way to make a phone for hazardous areas. It is not a flameproof (Ex d) design, and certification is still in progress.
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.
More on Portugal, and on other places in Portugal.
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.