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The National
29-04-2025
- Business
- The National
Pictures show chaotic power cut aftermath in Spain, Portugal and France
The outage hit Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Seville in Spain, as well as Lisbon in Portugal, knocking out subway networks, phone lines, traffic lights and ATM machines. Spanish generator Red Electrica said the incident had affected the Iberian peninsula and is being assessed. Such a widespread outage is rare. The Portuguese Cabinet convened an emergency meeting at the prime minister's residence, and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited Red Electrica to follow efforts to restore power to the grid. The countries have a combined population of more 50 million people, but it was not immediately clear how many were affected. Spain's public broadcaster, RTVE, said a major power outage hit several regions of the country just after midday local time, leaving its newsroom, Spain's parliament in Madrid and subway stations across the country in the dark. This is what a power outage in Europe looks like: subways and airports are down, and the streets are in chaos. According to the latest information, the power outage affected not only Spain and Portugal, but also parts of France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. What exactly… — Jürgen Nauditt 🇩🇪🇺🇦 (@jurgen_nauditt) April 28, 2025 A graph on Spain's electricity network website showing demand across the country indicated a steep drop at around 12.15pm from 27,500MW to near 15,000MW. A couple of hours later, Spain's electricity network operator said it was recovering power in the north and south of the peninsula, which would help to progressively restore the electricity supply nationwide. In Portugal, a country of some 10.6 million people, the outage hit the capital, Lisbon, and surrounding areas, as well as northern and southern parts of the country. Portugal's government said the incident appeared to stem from problems outside the country, an official told national news agency Lusa. 'It looks like it was a problem with the distribution network, apparently in Spain. It's still being ascertained,' Cabinet Minister Leitao Amaro was quoted as saying. The empty center court is seen during a general power blackout during Day Seven of the Mutua Madrid Open at La Caja Magica Portuguese distributor E-Redes said the outage was due to 'a problem with the European electricity system', according to Portuguese newspaper Expresso. The company said it was compelled to cut power in specific areas to stabilise the network, according to Expresso. E-Redes said parts of France also were affected. Several Lisbon subway cars were evacuated, reports said. Also in Portugal, courts stopped work and ATMs and electronic payment systems were affected. Traffic lights in Lisbon stopped working. It was not possible to make calls on mobile phone networks, though some apps were working.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Power nearly fully restored across Spain, Portugal after major outage
Power has been almost fully restored across Spain following a major outage, with about 99.16% of electricity supply back online as of 6 am (0400 GMT), grid operator Red Eléctrica said on Tuesday. In neighbouring Portugal, electricity had also been restored to most households, broadcaster RTP reported early Tuesday. Around 95% of the country's 6.5 million customers were back on the grid, RTP reported, citing grid operator E-Redes. Millions of people in Spain and Portugal were left in the dark on Monday as the power went out, communication networks were disrupted, traffic lights stopped working and lifts became stranded. The outage also disrupted underground and train services in both countries, which were resumed on Tuesday. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in a televised address on Monday evening, promised that power would be back to normal by Tuesday. He did not mention the cause of the blackout but stated that no possibilities were being ruled out. Eduardo Prieto, director of network operations at Red Eléctrica, told the media that the disconnection of the European power grid in France was responsible for the collapse on the Iberian Peninsula. However, it remains unclear what led to this disconnection. Despite the slow return to normal, the governments of both Spain and Portugal announced crisis meetings on Tuesday to assess the situation.
Arabian Post
29-04-2025
- Arabian Post
Massive Power Disruptions Sweep Across Spain And Portugal
A widespread power outage disrupted large sections of Spain and Portugal, causing significant interruptions across both countries and prompting an urgent response from national electricity operators. E-Redes, which oversees grid monitoring in Spain, announced it was actively working to restore connections in stages as authorities grappled with the scale of the disruption. The blackout affected major cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, and Porto, with local reports indicating that power was lost across residential, commercial, and transport sectors. Spanish and Portuguese energy authorities confirmed that grid instability was the underlying cause, although a full investigation is underway to determine the precise trigger for the failure. Early indications suggest that the incident may have been linked to a malfunction in cross-border transmission systems, exacerbated by high demand during the summer heat. A spokesperson for Red Eléctrica de España, the national transmission network operator, acknowledged that the system had experienced 'an exceptional disturbance,' adding that immediate action was taken to stabilise the network and prioritise supply to critical infrastructure, such as hospitals and transport hubs. In Portugal, REN echoed these statements, reporting similar measures to shield essential services while gradually restoring wider access. Transport services bore the brunt of the impact, with metro systems in Lisbon and Madrid facing temporary shutdowns, leading to commuter chaos. Airports across both countries reported delays as terminal facilities and air traffic control operations slowed due to back-up power systems being activated. Retail and hospitality businesses also suffered, with many forced to close temporarily as electronic payment systems and refrigeration units failed. Social media platforms were flooded with images and videos capturing stalled metro trains, darkened city streets, and stranded passengers, underlining the broad disruption caused by the blackout. Emergency services were quickly mobilised, responding to incidents of individuals trapped in lifts and traffic accidents caused by non-functioning traffic signals. Electricity supply began returning gradually after E-Redes initiated phase-wise reconnection procedures. However, energy experts warned that full restoration across all affected areas could take hours, if not longer, depending on the stability of the underlying infrastructure. They emphasised that restoring balance to the grid must be handled cautiously to avoid secondary failures or surges that could damage equipment and prolong outages. Meteorological factors may have compounded the situation. With Iberia currently experiencing intense summer heatwaves, energy consumption for cooling systems has surged to record highs. Analysts noted that grids operating under peak load conditions are more vulnerable to disruptions, especially if pre-existing vulnerabilities go unaddressed. There was speculation that a combination of high demand, equipment strain, and transmission line issues triggered a cascading failure. Reports from several municipalities indicated that the outage had a patchwork pattern, with some areas losing power for minutes while others faced sustained blackouts lasting up to two hours. This uneven impact reflects the complexity of restoring large-scale networks, where grid operators must balance loads and prioritise re-establishing supply where needed most. While no large-scale accidents or casualties have been reported so far, officials in both Spain and Portugal urged citizens to exercise caution as the situation continued to stabilise. Advice included limiting electricity use where possible and avoiding unnecessary travel, particularly in metropolitan areas where transport systems were operating at reduced capacity. European energy observers highlighted that Spain and Portugal's electricity grids are heavily interconnected, both internally and with the broader European network. While such interconnectivity generally enhances resilience and energy sharing, it can also facilitate the rapid spread of grid disturbances if not properly contained. It remains unclear whether there were any ripple effects into neighbouring countries such as France or Andorra. Energy ministers from both nations convened emergency meetings to assess the situation and coordinate responses. Initial briefings stressed that cyberattacks were unlikely to be a factor, although full security assessments were ordered as a precautionary measure. A senior official stated that while the preliminary evidence pointed towards technical causes, nothing would be ruled out until a comprehensive review was completed. Power companies faced a wave of public criticism as citizens vented frustrations about infrastructure vulnerability, particularly given the warnings issued in past years about the need for modernisation. Critics argued that with climate change intensifying weather extremes, energy systems across Europe must become more robust to withstand surges in demand and environmental stress. Authorities pledged to conduct a transparent investigation into the outage and its causes. Early steps include scrutinising the performance of automated safety systems designed to isolate faults and prevent wide-scale grid failures. Experts will also examine whether maintenance regimes for critical transmission assets were sufficient to meet the growing demands placed on the system. Despite the disruptions, early recovery efforts showed signs of progress. By late afternoon, major districts in Madrid and Lisbon reported partial restoration of services, although rural areas and smaller towns appeared to be recovering at a slower pace. Officials reiterated calls for patience and assured the public that work was ongoing around the clock. This large-scale power disruption served as a stark reminder of the fragility of energy infrastructure in the face of increasing pressures. The incident has amplified ongoing debates across Europe about accelerating investment in smarter, more resilient grids capable of balancing traditional energy sources with renewables while coping with evolving climatic and technical challenges.
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
What We Know About the Power Outages in Spain and Portugal
Traffic lights went dark at busy intersections. Trains stopped in the middle of a workday. And long lines formed at A.T.M.s and grocery stores, where credit card readers stopped working. Widespread power outages upended life for millions across Spain and Portugal (and briefly, parts of France) on Monday, leading to questions about what caused the disruptions and when the lights would return. Here's what we know. Spain's prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, said that officials were still investigating the causes of the outage. . Portugal's national energy supplier, E-Redes, cited an unspecified 'problem in the European electricity grid.' António Leitão Amaro, a senior official in the Portuguese government, said there was no evidence of a cyberattack. REN, a Portuguese electricity and gas supplier, denied reports that an unspecified 'atmospheric phenomenon' was to blame. There were widespread problems connecting to the internet and to phone networks across Spain and Portugal, and Mr. Sánchez urged people to make only brief calls on their cellphones. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times. Thank you for your patience while we verify access. Already a subscriber? Log in. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Forbes
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Spain And Portugal Power Outages: Electricity Restored In Some Regions (Live Updates)
Electricity supply has been restored to some regions of Spain and Portugal, power distributors for both countries said Monday, as a widespread power outage impacts areas in both countries and France. Red Eléctrica, Spain's national power grid operator, said in a statement the company had restored more than 20% of the Iberian Peninsula's demand for electricity, with power 'progressively restored' across 45% of Spain's power grid. E-Redes, Portugal's national energy supplier, told The New York Times in a statement the blackout impacted areas in Catalonia, Andalusia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Castile, Léon, Extremadura and Murcia, with other power outages along the Basque Coast and near Burgundy in France, though power had largely been restored in some of those regions. Red Eléctrica reportedly said earlier Monday efforts to restore power across the country could take up to 10 hours, as Eduardo Prieto, Red Eléctrica's head of operations, said the blackout was 'exceptional and extraordinary.' The Madrid Open said in a statement the tournament was canceled as a 'nationwide power-cut' affected areas in Spain, noting the decision was 'beyond the control of the organization and in order to guarantee general safety' after three matches were reportedly playing at the time the power went down. A video of Coco Gauff's post-match interview, shortly after she defeated Belinda Bencic to reach the quarterfinals, was shared on social media and appeared to show the moment the power outages reached Spain's capital. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. A cause of the widespread power outages has not been determined, though E-Redes reportedly determined the blackout was because of 'a problem in the European power grid' while data suggests a voltage imbalance was likely responsible. António Leitão Amaro, a minister for Portugal's presidency, told Portuguese news agency Lusa the imbalance was linked to a 'problem in Spain's transportation network,' though details of this issue have not been determined. Red Eléctrica's Prieto said the blackout was caused by a 'very strong oscillation in the electrical network,' which caused Spain's power grid to 'disconnect from the European system' and collapse the Iberian Peninsula's electricity network. European Commission Executive Vice President Teresa Ribera told Politico in a statement there was 'nothing' indicating the blackout was caused by 'sabotage' or a cyberattack. French grid operator Réseau de Transport d'Électricité (RTE) confirmed in a statement to SkyNews the country experienced brief outages this in a statement, according to Sky News. Emilie Grandidier, a spokesperson for RTE, told CNN a blackout in France's southwestern Basque Country last just a 'couple of minutes and was restored very quickly.' According to Euronews, some residents of Andorra, which borders Spain, also reported outages. Both public transport and road traffic have been impacted across several major cities in the Iberian peninsula, including Madrid, Lisbon and Barcelona. Spain's Railway Insfrastructure and Traffic Department (Adif) announced on social media rail services for all companies are suspended 'until further notice' and advises passengers with planned trips not to go to rail stations. Earlier, Spanish train operator Renfe said all departures have been halted since 12:30 p.m. local time. The Madrid Metro also announced the stoppage of its services while reports said several underground stations were being evacuated. Barcelona's El Prat Airport is 'operating correctly with self-service,' however, according to Catalonia's government. In Portugal, the country's flag carrier TAP Air issued a statement on Facebook requesting passengers to not travel to the airport as operations have been limited. Road traffic in both countries were also impacted as clips shared on social media showed chaotic scenes at intersections as traffic lights failed to work. The Madrid Open suspended play at the tournament earlier on Monday after the tournament said it was affected by a power outage, noting it was 'working to restore normality as soon as possible.' Three matches were playing at the time the power went down, the Associated Press reported. The Spanish Parliament in Madrid also closed on Monday. One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts. 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