Spain reveals cause of massive blackout that cancelled flights and left 80,000 stranded
The outage, which left tens of millions without power, was triggered by a chain reaction of small grid failures concentrated in southern Spain, according to Spain's Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen.
Speaking at a press conference, Ms Aagesen ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack.
She cited "the poor planning" by grid operators as a contributing factor, as they failed to find a replacement for a power plant intended to balance power fluctuations.
The blackout on 28 April began shortly after 12.30pm and lasted through the evening, disrupting businesses, transit systems, cellular networks, internet connectivity, and other critical infrastructure.
Within five seconds, Spain lost 15gigawatts of electricity, approximately 60 per cent of its supply. Portugal, connected to Spain's grid, also experienced a blackout, while island territories were unaffected.
About 500 flights were cancelled, affecting 80,000 passengers, and many travellers slept in train stations as they were unable to get home.
Power was fully restored by the early hours of the following day.
The government report included analysts from Spain's national security agencies, which concluded, according to the minister, there were no indications of cyber-sabotage by foreign actors.
The only solid information made public shortly after the system went down came from Spain's grid operator Red Eléctrica, which had narrowed down the source of the outage to two separate incidents in southern Spain where substations had failed.
In the weeks following the blackout, citizens and experts were left wondering what triggered the event in a region not known for power outages and igniting a fierce debate about whether Spain's high levels of renewable power had something to do with the grid failing.
Spain is at the forefront of Europe 's transition to renewable energy, having generated nearly 57 per cent of its electricity in 2024 from renewable energy sources like wind, hydropower and solar. The country is also phasing out its nuclear plants.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pushed back against such speculation and defended renewables.
He asked for patience and said that his government would not 'deviate a single millimetre' from its energy transition plans, which include a goal of generating 81 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Reuters
8 hours ago
- Reuters
Spain seeks help from European partners to tackle wildfires
MADRID, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Spain is seeking help from its European partners to tackle wildfires raging across the country, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Wednesday. In particular, it requested two Canadair planes, he said in an interview with local media Cadena SER.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
Migrants land on Algarve beach… and are immediately detained & ordered to be deported in WEEKS in stark contrast to UK
DOZENS of migrants landed at an Algarve beach - but were immediately detained and ordered to return in a stark contrast to the UK under Labour. A wooden boat, carrying 38 people including seven children, arrived on Friday evening near the town of Vila do Bispo, Portuguese authorities said. 5 5 5 5 Footage showed the migrants from Morocco walking out of the boat and getting on the beach. Beachgoers as well as locals watched in surprise as the dehydrated and hungry migrants reached the shore. However, they were quickly rounded up by cops near Burgau, a part of the Algarve coast popular with tourists. Three of the children, aged 12 months, eight and ten, were taken to a paediatric emergency clinic in Faro. A few more men were taken to a hospital in Portimão. They were all soon discharged. One of the Moroccan nationals on the boat claimed that four people had died during their five days at sea in the Atlantic Ocean, Daily Mail reports. Authorities said: "The migrants were in a debilitated state and in need of medical care, showing signs of dehydration and hypothermia." They were given food kits containing biscuits, juice, milk, bread and daily needs products. Public broadcaster RTP reported that the vessel had departed from Morocco and spent six days at sea before reaching Portugal. However, Portuguese authorities wasted no time in taking action against the migrants under their no-nonsense policy on illegal immigration. Out of the 38 people, 31 were taken to a court on the very next day, where a judge gave them 20 days to voluntarily return to Morocco. The judge ordered that they will face forceful deportation if they fail to board flights back home. Small boat crossings under Labour are on brink of hitting 50,000 - one illegal migrant every 11 mins since the election Portugal's Navy said Saturday it has increased patrols along the country's southern coast following the arrival of the migrant boat. It is a stark contrast to the UK, where small boat crossings have surged past 50,000 - one illegal migrant every 11 minutes - under Labour. Sir Keir Starmer is facing enormous pressure to tackle illegal immigration in Britain. Home Office statistics show 49,797 have crossed the Channel since July 5 2024, when Sir Keir Starmer took charge with a promise to get a grip on our borders. That is expected to hit 50,000 as soon as today after more boatloads were picked up in the shipping lanes yesterday. Dozens of illegal migrants — who mainly appeared to be young men — were seen disembarking Border Force cutters at Dover. EXCLUSIVE by Julia Atherley, Home Affairs Correspondent FRENCH police stopped just 15 per cent of small boat crossings last week despite a landmark treaty. Home Office data shows 227 of 1,486 migrants were prevented from coming to the UK. Around 730 of the 1,200 French officers patrolling its northern border are paid for by UK taxpayers. Labour's new 'one-in, one-out' deal — signed by Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron — also came into force last week. The Government has so far refused to release the number of people detained, and none have yet been sent back to France. Another 435 people — mainly young men — were picked up by Border Force on Saturday. Smugglers are expected to cash in on good weather by sending thousands more across the Channel in the coming week. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said the new deal 'will have no deterrent effect whatsoever'. A Home Office spokesman said a 'serious plan' is in place to take down people-smuggling gangs. The 50,000 arrivals are the equivalent of a population the size of Durham, with the majority in taxpayer-funded accommodation. It comes as No10 denied its flagship plan to ' smash the gangs ' had flopped. The PM's spokesman said: 'There's clearly much more to do. These gangs had a six-year head start to establish their networks.' From election day to the end of 2024, 23,242 migrants arrived to enjoy bed and board on the taxpayer. In 2025 — so far — another 21,117 have crossed, up a staggering 56 per cent compared to 2024 and a shocking 75 per cent higher than in 2023. Labour has vowed to end the use of asylum hotels by the 2029 election, in part by moving migrants to cheaper forms of taxpayer-funded accommodation. But just days ago, Sir Keir sparked uproar by claiming there was plenty of spare housing for both illegal migrants and homeless Brits. 5
Reuters
5 days ago
- Reuters
Portugal's top court blocks bill restricting immigration
LISBON, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Portugal's Constitutional Court has blocked a bill approved by the right-wing parliamentary majority that was designed to limit the inflow of immigrants, citing obstacles it creates for family members in joining immigrants legally resident in Portugal. Immediately after late Friday's decision, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa sent the bill back to parliament, which is on recess until September. Last month, the president told the court to check the document for potential infringements of the principles of equality, proportionality and legal security. The bill illustrates the rightward shift in politics in much of Europe, as governments try to fend off the rise of the far-right by being tougher on immigration. The bill would have made hundreds of thousands of migrants legally resident in Portugal wait for two years before they could request permission for immediate family members to join them. Only highly-skilled workers and investors with special residence permits would be exempt. The court ruled that the bill was "likely to lead to the separation of family members" of foreign citizens legally resident in Portugal, which it said would be a "violation of the rights enshrined in the constitution". Last year, the government scrapped a programme that allowed migrants entering Portugal on a tourist visa or waiver to stay and get residence permits if they find work. Immigrants from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries still enjoy most such privileges but the bill would impose the requirement of a long-term work or residence visa that they would need to apply for in the country of origin. Parliament approved the bill on July 16 with support from the centre-right ruling coalition and far-right Chega party, which emerged as the second-largest parliamentary force in a May general election. Left-wing opposition parties have criticised the government for what they call an inhumane bill, and for allowing Chega to impose its anti-immigration agenda on the minority administration. The government denies such accusations, arguing that immigration inflows require better controls, and has already said it intends to adjust the bill to the court's objections.
