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. This page explains what to look for in an intrinsically safe smartphone for Portugal, and where the IS-04Z1 stands against that list today.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. The SAMS IS-04Z1 is the intrinsically safe smartphone covered here for Portugal: pre-launch, designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target Ex ib IIC T4), with certification in progress and no certificate issued.
Where things stand: the IS-04Z1 has not launched, and none of its four certification routes has produced a certificate yet. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Level of protection | ia, ib or ic matched to the zone | ib, for Zone 1 |
| Entity parameters | Uo, Io and Po within the device limits | Published with the certificate |
| Accessories | Chargers and cases certified with the device | Defined at certification |
| Where it applies | Portugal: Sines, ZILS Alentejo, Estarreja | 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.
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.
Intrinsic safety limits the electrical and thermal energy in a circuit so that neither a spark nor a hot surface can ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even when a fault occurs. The ib level, used for Zone 1, tolerates one fault. It is the usual way to make a handheld device that a worker carries continuously through a hazardous area.
The IS-04Z1 is designed on this principle for Zone 1 and Zone 21 (marking target II 2 G Ex ib IIC T4). Intrinsic safety is a design basis, not a certificate: certification is in progress and none has been issued yet.
In Portugal. Large sites and small crews mean a single operator may cover long rounds across Sines, Estarreja or a pulp mill at Figueira da Foz. An intrinsically safe handheld lets one person log findings, photograph equipment and run a work-order app without returning to a control room for each entry.
A short checklist for anyone writing or reviewing the specification, with the IS-04Z1 status against each point.
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.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
The circuits are designed to limit energy so a spark or hot surface cannot ignite a gas or dust atmosphere, even with one fault (level ib, Zone 1). Certification of that design is in progress.
The market guide for Portugal covers Sines, ZILS Alentejo, Estarreja, Matosinhos and Leça, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
Not exactly. Explosion proof is a broad everyday term; intrinsic safety is one protection concept, which limits energy so ignition cannot occur. Flameproof (Ex d) is a different concept that contains an explosion. The IS-04Z1 is intrinsically safe by design.
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.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule.