Repsol Polímeros runs the olefins and polymer complex at Sines, which has just been expanded, and this page is for the process safety, instrumentation and telecoms teams deciding what an explosion proof mobile phone has to be in Portugal's plastics industry. The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe Android handset designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, with certification in progress ahead of a Q4 2026 launch.
Launching Q4 2026 · certification programme in progress
Repsol has expanded its Sines industrial complex with two new plants, one for linear polyethylene and one for polypropylene, each described in the trade press as a capacity of 300,000 tonnes a year. The company has said the plants were due to start in late 2025 and reach full capacity in 2026, and that they integrate photovoltaic power and electrolysis hydrogen. A polymer plant has both hazards in one place: ethylene, propylene and hydrogen in the reaction and recovery sections, and fine polymer powder and pellets in the downstream silos and extruders. That is the textbook case for Zone 1 and Zone 21 in the same building.
A polymer complex asks for a single device that works in two hazard types at once. That is where a gas-only handset fails and a Zone 1 and Zone 21 design earns its place.
Reactors and recovery sections are gas areas, while the silo and extrusion floors are dust areas, sometimes within a few metres of each other. A handset designed for both Zone 1 and Zone 21 avoids leaving one at the door and carrying another inside.
Polymer dust and plastic surfaces build static, and dust layers need removing on a cleaning schedule. A sealed IP68 body is easier to wipe down than a case with open ports, though the operator's cleaning procedure takes priority.
A new line brings dozens of commissioning staff who are unfamiliar with the plant. A managed handset carrying the area map, the permit application and a call directory shortens their orientation.
Round sheets, photographs of seals and positions of leaks can be captured with the 50 MP camera and GNSS and uploaded into the maintenance system through the plant's own mobile device management.
Operators check pumps, seals and relief systems in hydrocarbon service. A handset with an alarm application and a photographic record replaces separate radio and camera equipment.
Blocked lines and hot spots in powder handling are classic dust-fire precursors. A Zone 21 device allows staff to photograph and report a problem without walking out of the dust area.
Large contractor crews need access during a stop. Enrolling devices in advance and wiping them afterwards is easier with a single approved model.
A polymer plant like this will want the ATEX certificate covering both the gas and dust categories, the temperature class and, for dust, the maximum surface temperature. We have not verified any Repsol vendor-registration programme and name none; ask the Sines procurement and HSE teams what a supplier of electrical equipment must supply and what induction contractors must complete.
SAMS has no customer or supply relationship with Repsol, and the IS-04Z1 has no certificate yet. Evaluation units are for assessment and training, not for use in classified areas.
Because the process is gas in the front end and powder in the back end. Polymer powder suspended in air can burn violently, so silos, conveyors and bag-handling areas are classified for dust, and a gas-only phone would not be suitable there.
Yes, it pushes the requirement to group IIC. The IS-04Z1 is designed to Ex ib IIC T4 as a marking target, so hydrogen areas are inside the design intent.
Technically yes, since the certificate follows the device. Each operator still decides for itself whether to accept it, so ask each one separately.
Tell us the site, the zone and gas group, and roughly how many handsets. The SAMS team replies by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule for Portugal. The IS-04Z1 is pre-launch and certification is in progress, so there is no list price yet; indicative pricing is issued in writing against a stated quantity and site.
Tell us the zone, gas group and operator. We will send the datasheet and the certification schedule for your market.
