On Monday (28th), a large-scale power outage occurred in Spain and Portugal, but as of Tuesday morning, power supply has been mostly restored in both countries.
In Spain, the grid operator Red Eléctrica reported that as of Tuesday morning at 6 a.m. local time, over 99% of power has been restored. However, the cause of the blackout is still under investigation.
On Monday night, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stated on television that all potential causes are being assessed.
On Tuesday, schools and workplaces reopened in Spain; public transportation resumed operations after long delays, easing traffic congestion; and many hospitals have regained power.
In Portugal, the power grid operator REN stated that as of Monday night, all 89 substations in the country had resumed operation.
Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez mentioned on Monday night that around noon on Monday, the country suddenly lost 15 gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity within 5 seconds, equivalent to 60% of national demand.
Eduardo Prieto, the operating director of Red Electrica, told reporters on Monday night that the significant fluctuation in power generation led to a disconnection in the power interconnection system between Spain and France through the Pyrenees, causing a complete collapse of the Spanish power system.
On Monday, some regions of France also experienced brief power outages.
Spain is one of Europe’s largest producers of renewable energy, but Monday’s major blackout has sparked discussions on whether the fluctuations in solar or wind power supply make the country’s power system more susceptible to such blackouts.
Energy analyst and public policy expert John Kemp stated that investigators may need several months to determine the underlying causes of the series of failures that led to this blackout.
Kemp noted, “The region’s wind and solar power generation rates are among the highest in the world, and this blackout will serve as a typical case study on the reliability of renewable energy generation and its impact on power restoration after large-scale failures.”
In Portugal, the government reported that hospitals have resumed operations, most airports are operating normally, but there are delays at Lisbon Airport. The capital’s metro system is gradually resuming operations with trains running.
French Minister of Industry Marc Ferracci mentioned in an interview with RTL radio on Tuesday that France is better prepared to prevent similar large-scale blackouts like those in Spain and Portugal, with the impact on France being “minimal.”
Madrid has implemented free bus services for commuting citizens on Tuesday, with the subway and some trains resuming operations, though delays persist.
Due to all trains being canceled on Monday night, some railway passengers were stranded at major transportation hubs in Spain. In Madrid, some individuals were forced to spend the night at the Atocha train station or the nearby Movistar Arena.
Following the major blackout, many regions in Spain declared a state of emergency on Monday, with the deployment of 30,000 police officers. At Madrid’s Atocha train station, police and Red Cross staff distributed blankets and bottled water to stranded travelers.
(This article referenced reports from Reuters.)