Latest news with #JianzhongWu
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The Iberian Blackout Put EU Energy Security in the Spotlight
In late April, Spain, Portugal and parts of southern France experienced the most widespread blackout in European history. As their governments and the European Union scramble to identify the root cause of the grid failure, the incident raises serious questions about the efficacy of the EU's pooled energy policy and the security of its electricity network. Shortly after noon on April 28, electricity production across the power grids of Spain and Portugal dropped by more than half in a matter of seconds, provoking a power outage that brought industries, businesses and communities to a standstill across the Iberian peninsula. The blackout persisted throughout the day, as authorities scrambled to reboot the power grid. In some parts of the peninsula it was almost 24 hours before life returned to normal. Multiple inquiries have since been set up to investigate the incident, most notably by an expert panel from ENTSO-E, the European umbrella group for Transmission System Operators, or TSOs, across the bloc. While physical sabotage and cyberattacks have been ruled out, it may be many months before the ENTSO-E panel as well as Spanish and Portuguese experts arrive at a definitive explanation for the incident. In the meantime, the political fallout is becoming increasingly clear, with potentially far-reaching implications for EU energy market integration, power-grid resilience, the role of renewable energies and culture war politics across the bloc. Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine in 2022 effectively ended the EU's energy dependency on Russia and sent energy prices soaring across the bloc. But in doing so, it also intensified policy conflict around the EU's push for further integrating member states' energy markets. Many policy analysts and politicians have underlined the resilience that integrated European electricity markets can provide in the wake of losing cheap Russian gas supplies, while decrying price caps and subsidies at the member-state level, which they argue undermine a unified EU-wide approach. Others, however, argue that national governments must retain the legislative freedom to reduce energy prices to hard-pressed consumers and businesses to protect living standards and domestic economies. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. The Iberian blackout has now added another complex dimension to this ongoing debate. Some experts tout enhanced integration as the solution to future outages, with interconnected grids facilitating backup power to affected regions, while others argue that increased integration could actually exacerbate rather than ameliorate blackouts. As Jianzhong Wu, a professor at the University of Cardiff, points out, increased interconnectedness means that 'serious faults, like a large loss of synchronisation, can spread across multiple regions or even countries if not rapidly contained.' The one thing that most energy experts can agree on, however, is the extent to which the blackout has exposed the shortcomings of a power grid designed for the age of fossil fuels, but which must now incorporate ever larger and more diverse energy sources. Even staunch advocates of renewable energy accept that the inherent variability in weather-based renewable energy sources complicates grid operators' ability to 'efficiently manage power flows and avoid grid imbalances.' As a result, the commendable and necessary drive to complete the energy transition has to be matched by equally urgent investment in the upgrading of European power grids as fossil fuels give way to renewable energy. And the scale of the necessary investment is truly staggering. According to a 2023 International Energy Agency report, the world must add or replace 50 million miles of power grids by 2040 in order to meet climate targets and facilitate the integration of renewables into the system. That's the equivalent of all the grids currently in existence globally. While Europe has invested more in upgrading its electricity grid than the U.S., for example, the bloc's current focus on security has already seen national governments cut public spending in order to hit the target of devoting 2 percent of GDP to defense, with capital spending on infrastructure among the casualties. Another obstacle, according to David Brayshaw, a professor at the University of Reading, is the serious knowledge gap that exists regarding the future of integrated power systems in a world increasingly affected by climate change. Brayshaw argues that while Europe's power system is evolving rapidly, driven by renewables and electrification, inadequate research has been conducted into 'how climate change will affect future power systems, or how to design grids that are truly robust.' In the realm of cynical retail politics, and amid Europe's increasingly polarized political landscape, the blackout has been deftly weaponized by populist politicians and vested energy interests. Indeed, for the European far right and nuclear power lobby, the blackout could hardly have come at a better time. For years, far-right skeptics of climate change have viewed the energy transition as a Trojan horse for the 'overreaching ambition of the EU.' But renewables remain very popular with voters, particularly the promise they hold of ushering in high-quality, well-paid jobs and energy self-sufficiency, which has made opposing them a hard sell for populists. However, with the governments of Spain and Portugal reluctant to jump the gun on the ongoing investigations into the April blackout, the resulting information vacuum has given the far right in Spain and beyond the opportunity to tie renewable energy—and by extension climate change policy—to the April incident and blackouts in general, thus sowing doubts among the public about the energy transition. The nuclear power lobby has also been quick to politicize the blackout for commercial advantage. In recent years the industry has watched with dismay as the plummeting costs of renewables has caused production and profits in the sector to fall. In Spain, for example, the country's five nuclear power plants spend increasing amounts of time offline because of the EU electricity system's 'merit order' protocol, which prioritizes the cheapest form of electricity generation at any given time. In Spain and elsewhere, that increasingly means renewables. Indeed, France has long stalled on increasing its meager interconnectivity with Spain's power grid to protect its massive nuclear power industry, which produces around 75 percent of the country's electricity, from Spain's cheaper green power. The highly disputed claim by the Spanish and EU nuclear lobbies that more nuclear power would have ameliorated the effects of the April blackout has now energized the campaign against the Spanish government plans for a complete phaseout of the nuclear industry by 2035. It is also adding momentum to the mini-revival of the industry's fortunes across the bloc, already kickstarted by the scramble to find alternatives to Russian gas. Since the April blackout, even more explosive claims have emerged that implicate renewables in the failure. In May, for example, several news outlets cited anonymous sources in Brussels to support the now comprehensively debunked claim that a botched clandestine stress test of renewable energies was responsible for the outage. Against this backdrop, Europe increasingly risks learning all the wrong lessons from the Iberian blackout. Most notable among them is the wrongheaded notion that renewable energy production must be tailored to fit the capabilities of the existing power network, rather than the other way around. John Boyce is an Irish freelance journalist with a background in international relations and Hispanic affairs. He writes for a variety of publications on Anglo-Irish, Spanish and European politics. The post The Iberian Blackout Put EU Energy Security in the Spotlight appeared first on World Politics Review.
Business Mayor
02-05-2025
- Climate
- Business Mayor
‘Blackouts can happen anywhere': how power systems worldwide can collapse
E urope's biggest blackout in over 20 years on the Iberian peninsula unleashed hours of chaos for people in Spain, Portugal and parts of France earlier this week. But in the aftermath it has raised a common question for governments across the continent: could the same happen here? Europe's political leaders and energy system operators have given assurances that such blackouts are extraordinarily rare, and that European power grids are some of the most stable in the world. Yet energy experts have warned that although wide-scale blackouts may be rare, no grid is infallible. Prof Jianzhong Wu, the head of the school of engineering at Cardiff University, told the Guardian blackouts 'can happen anywhere'. 'Despite today's high standards of reliability, low-probability but high-impact blackout events can still happen. These networks are not designed to be completely blackout-free because achieving such a level of reliability would require investment far beyond what is economically feasible,' he said. Charmalee Jayamaha, a senior manager at the UK government-backed Energy Systems Catapult, said: 'No system can be 100% resilient,' so risks 'need to be balanced with our willingness to pay to reduce them'. If no power system is bulletproof, then what are the risks that could trigger a catastrophic blackout in any country? Here we look at the top reasons a power system might collapse. 'Hand of God' Major power system collapses are frequently due to factors that are difficult to foresee or control. Extreme weather events and natural disasters present a clear risk because storms, heatwaves and earthquakes can lead to devastating damage to critical national infrastructure. Lightning strikes and solar flares have also been known to damage vital equipment such as substations and power lines, which are crucial to maintaining the stability of the grid. Read More Nukoko's eco beans scale to help solve the chocolate crisis Early reports suggested that Spain's blackout had been caused by a 'rare atmospheric phenomenon' due to a sudden change in temperature, which may have destabilised the grid. But the grid operator, Red Eléctrica, later dismissed the theory. Most outages due to natural disasters are easier to identify. In the US state of Texas, a series of three winter storms in early 2021 caused windfarms and gas power plants to freeze over, leaving 4.5m homes and businesses without power, some for several days. The risk of these events is on the rise as the climate crisis increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Human-made mayhem Some blackouts are entirely human-made. Jayamaha said geopolitical factors and cyber-attacks had the potential to cause 'major interruptions' to the grid. Human error could also play a role. After the Iberian blackout many questioned whether malevolent state actors had taken aim at the grid. However, Red Eléctrica was quick to insist there was no sign of an attack and later ruled the theory out. Still, the risk of a cyber-attack on power grid infrastructure is 'not science fiction', according to the Dutch cybersecurity expert Dave Maasland. He told the Dutch press that 'attacks on power supplies are possible and have already caused disruptions in the past'. He pointed to Russia's attacks on Ukraine's power system in 2015 and 2016, and a failed attempt after its invasion in 2022. Grid glitches In the most simple terms, a blackout is caused when the power system stops working: this can be due to an unexpected mechanical glitch involving power lines, substations or other grid infrastructure – or a more complex problem with how the system runs. skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion A key concern to emerge after Spain's blackout is the role that renewable energy may have played in the system collapse. Without a clear explanation for the outage it is too soon to comment, experts have said. What we know so far is that Spain's electricity system suffered two major generation losses in the solar-rich south-west of the country within seconds, which may have destabilised the grid connection between Spain and France, and ultimately led to a full loss of power across the energy system. The initial trigger remains under investigation. It is true that a renewables-rich grid is more difficult to run than one powered by fossil fuels. This is because the grid was originally designed with big coal, gas and nuclear power plants in mind. These plants feature spinning turbines that create inertia on the system, which helps to maintain the grid's frequency at about 50Hz. Wind and solar farms do not create inertia on the grid, meaning that at times of high renewables output it can be more difficult to keep the frequency steady if there is a sudden loss of power. A significant fluctuation in frequency can cause generators to automatically disconnect, leading to a collapse of the system. Jayamaha said the shift to renewables would require grid companies to invest in grid-stabilising technologies. 'The electricity grid is undergoing unprecedented change as we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and move to solutions that are cheaper, better, and cleaner. This creates different resilience challenges that need to be managed,' she said. 'Resilience is no longer just about having enough spare megawatts you can simply switch on – but about the right mix of technologies and system capabilities to operate a grid with a lot more renewables.' Kate Mulvany, a principal consultant at Cornwall Insight, said that in the UK, a key part of that effort had been the development of new balancing and system management tools, 'particularly the integration of grid-scale batteries, which play a vital role in maintaining stability'. 'The electricity system in GB is among the most reliable in the world. So, while a major blackout will always be possible, the extensive safeguards in place make it extremely unlikely,' she said. 'Black swan' event In many cases, the risk factors outlined above can coincide, meaning relatively common or innocuous events can compound to create a cascading failure that leads to catastrophe. These 'black swan' events are nearly impossible to anticipate – meaning grid operators are under pressure to prepare for the unexpected. In August 2019 the UK suffered its biggest blackout in over a decade, leaving almost 1 million people in England and Wales without electricity and hundreds of people stuck on trains for up to nine hours. The blackout occurred after a lightning strike hit a transmission circuit north of London and managed to cause two electricity generators more than 100 miles apart to trip off the system within seconds of each other. It was described as an 'extremely rare and unexpected event' by the energy system operator. Lightning strikes on energy infrastructure are relatively common, as are power plant outages, but the impact of the large double-outage on the grid's stability was severe enough to cause scores of small generators and batteries using incorrect safety settings to trip off the system and make it impossible for the operator to avoid a loss of power. No single element in the event would cause a large-scale blackout on its own, but the combination proved devastating.
The Guardian
02-05-2025
- Climate
- The Guardian
‘Blackouts can happen anywhere': how power systems worldwide can collapse
Europe's biggest blackout in over 20 years on the Iberian peninsula unleashed hours of chaos for people in Spain, Portugal and parts of France earlier this week. But in the aftermath it has raised a common question for governments across the continent: could the same happen here? Europe's political leaders and energy system operators have given assurances that such blackouts are extraordinarily rare, and that European power grids are some of the most stable in the world. Yet energy experts have warned that although wide-scale blackouts may be rare, no grid is infallible. Prof Jianzhong Wu, the head of the school of engineering at Cardiff University, told the Guardian blackouts 'can happen anywhere'. 'Despite today's high standards of reliability, low-probability but high-impact blackout events can still happen. These networks are not designed to be completely blackout-free because achieving such a level of reliability would require investment far beyond what is economically feasible,' he said. Charmalee Jayamaha, a senior manager at the UK government-backed Energy Systems Catapult, said: 'No system can be 100% resilient,' so risks 'need to be balanced with our willingness to pay to reduce them'. If no power system is bulletproof, then what are the risks that could trigger a catastrophic blackout in any country? Here we look at the top reasons a power system might collapse. Major power system collapses are frequently due to factors that are difficult to foresee or control. Extreme weather events and natural disasters present a clear risk because storms, heatwaves and earthquakes can lead to devastating damage to critical national infrastructure. Lightning strikes and solar flares have also been known to damage vital equipment such as substations and power lines, which are crucial to maintaining the stability of the grid. Early reports suggested that Spain's blackout had been caused by a 'rare atmospheric phenomenon' due to a sudden change in temperature, which may have destabilised the grid. But the grid operator, Red Eléctrica, later dismissed the theory. Most outages due to natural disasters are easier to identify. In the US state of Texas, a series of three winter storms in early 2021 caused windfarms and gas power plants to freeze over, leaving 4.5m homes and businesses without power, some for several days. The risk of these events is on the rise as the climate crisis increases the frequency and severity of extreme weather events. Some blackouts are entirely human-made. Jayamaha said geopolitical factors and cyber-attacks had the potential to cause 'major interruptions' to the grid. Human error could also play a role. After the Iberian blackout many questioned whether malevolent state actors had taken aim at the grid. However, Red Eléctrica was quick to insist there was no sign of an attack and later ruled the theory out. Still, the risk of a cyber-attack on power grid infrastructure is 'not science fiction', according to the Dutch cybersecurity expert Dave Maasland. He told the Dutch press that 'attacks on power supplies are possible and have already caused disruptions in the past'. He pointed to Russia's attacks on Ukraine's power system in 2015 and 2016, and a failed attempt after its invasion in 2022. In the most simple terms, a blackout is caused when the power system stops working: this can be due to an unexpected mechanical glitch involving power lines, substations or other grid infrastructure – or a more complex problem with how the system runs. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion A key concern to emerge after Spain's blackout is the role that renewable energy may have played in the system collapse. Without a clear explanation for the outage it is too soon to comment, experts have said. What we know so far is that Spain's electricity system suffered two major generation losses in the solar-rich south-west of the country within seconds, which may have destabilised the grid connection between Spain and France, and ultimately led to a full loss of power across the energy system. The initial trigger remains under investigation. It is true that a renewables-rich grid is more difficult to run than one powered by fossil fuels. This is because the grid was originally designed with big coal, gas and nuclear power plants in mind. These plants feature spinning turbines that create inertia on the system, which helps to maintain the grid's frequency at about 50Hz. Wind and solar farms do not create inertia on the grid, meaning that at times of high renewables output it can be more difficult to keep the frequency steady if there is a sudden loss of power. A significant fluctuation in frequency can cause generators to automatically disconnect, leading to a collapse of the system. Jayamaha said the shift to renewables would require grid companies to invest in grid-stabilising technologies. 'The electricity grid is undergoing unprecedented change as we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and move to solutions that are cheaper, better, and cleaner. This creates different resilience challenges that need to be managed,' she said. 'Resilience is no longer just about having enough spare megawatts you can simply switch on – but about the right mix of technologies and system capabilities to operate a grid with a lot more renewables.' Kate Mulvany, a principal consultant at Cornwall Insight, said that in the UK, a key part of that effort had been the development of new balancing and system management tools, 'particularly the integration of grid-scale batteries, which play a vital role in maintaining stability'. 'The electricity system in GB is among the most reliable in the world. So, while a major blackout will always be possible, the extensive safeguards in place make it extremely unlikely,' she said. In many cases, the risk factors outlined above can coincide, meaning relatively common or innocuous events can compound to create a cascading failure that leads to catastrophe. These 'black swan' events are nearly impossible to anticipate – meaning grid operators are under pressure to prepare for the unexpected. In August 2019 the UK suffered its biggest blackout in over a decade, leaving almost 1 million people in England and Wales without electricity and hundreds of people stuck on trains for up to nine hours. The blackout occurred after a lightning strike hit a transmission circuit north of London and managed to cause two electricity generators more than 100 miles apart to trip off the system within seconds of each other. It was described as an 'extremely rare and unexpected event' by the energy system operator. Lightning strikes on energy infrastructure are relatively common, as are power plant outages, but the impact of the large double-outage on the grid's stability was severe enough to cause scores of small generators and batteries using incorrect safety settings to trip off the system and make it impossible for the operator to avoid a loss of power. No single element in the event would cause a large-scale blackout on its own, but the combination proved devastating.
The Independent
29-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
What caused the Spain and Portugal blackouts? Experts say incident is a warning
Millions across Spain and Portugal were left in the dark on Monday as an unprecedented power outage brought much of the Iberian peninsula to a standstill. For hours the lights went out, transport links ground to a halt and communication networks faltered, leaving many wondering what had gone wrong. In the immediate aftermath, explanations were thin on the ground. Conspiracy theories began popping up, including international sabotage, a cyber attack or even renewables being responsible for the outage. Officials said there was little precedent for this kind of widespread electric failure across all of the Iberian peninsula. "We have never had a complete collapse of the system," said Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, talking about how the power grid lost 15 gigawatts, the equivalent of 60 per cent of its national demand, in just five seconds. Experts say a proper investigation will take time – and that the cause remains uncertain. Spain's grid operator, Red Eléctrica de España (REE), spoke of a "very strong oscillation in the electrical network" that led to the country's disconnection from the wider European power system. Meanwhile, Portugal 's operator, REN (Redes Energéticas Nacionais), initially suggested a "rare atmospheric phenomenon" in Spain, involving extreme temperature variations, could have caused vibrations in high-voltage lines. But many experts are sceptical of those claims. 'I am not familiar with this term,' Dr Jianzhong Wu, professor of multi-vector energy systems at University of Cardiff, said. 'It is not widely used or frequently encountered in power system engineering. ''Induced atmospheric vibration' could mean unusual physical movements of power lines caused by rapid and extreme changes in atmospheric conditions, such as temperature shifts or localised weather phenomena,' he explains. 'These vibrations can alter the electrical properties of transmission lines or trigger protective mechanisms designed to prevent damage, leading to unexpected disconnections. Alternatively, it could refer to unusual changes in electricity demand and generation caused by rapid atmospheric shifts.' Dr Wu says there isn't enough information available to make an assessment on the cause. One of the key aspects of this blackout is how it managed to affect such a large area. Both Spain and Portugal's electricity grids are tightly linked, not just to each other but also to the broader European system. This interconnectedness usually provides resilience, allowing power to be shared across borders. However, Dr Jianzhong Wu, professor of multi-vector energy systems at University of Cardiff, said it can also mean that "disturbances can spread quickly if a major synchronisation failure occurs.' 'In this case, the disruption appears to have propagated rapidly through the Iberian peninsula.' Dr David Brayshaw, a professor of climate science and energy meteorology at the University of Reading, explained: "Power systems are networks, connecting local disruptions to wider areas... If something on the network — a generator, a power line, or even a large electricity user — suddenly disappears, it creates a supply-demand imbalance, and the system frequency starts to shift. If that shift becomes too large, other components can trip offline, creating a snowball effect that worsens the imbalance and can trigger a major blackout — sometimes within seconds." With both Spain and Portugal increasingly relying on renewable energy sources like solar and wind, questions have been raised about their role in the outage. Experts were quick to dismiss this as the primary cause, however. Daniel Muir, a senior European power analyst at S&P Global, told Politico that "the nature and scale of the outage makes it unlikely that the volume of renewables was the cause." 'There was sufficient conventional generation available, with nuclear, hydro, cogeneration and thermal technologies all on the system prior to the event and ... available to the operator,' he said. Dr Keith Bell, professor of electronic and electrical engineering at the University of Strathclyde, said:'Events of this scale have happened in many places around the world over the years, in power systems using fossil fuels, nuclear, hydro or variable renewables. It doesn't matter where you are getting the energy from, you've got to get the engineering right in order to ensure resilient supplies of electricity.' There has also been a lot of speculation asking whether the outages were the work of cyber-saboteurs launching a strike on Europe. However, there is no evidence suggesting that was the case. European Commission executive vice president Teresa Ribera dismissed that possibility, saying there was 'nothing that allows us to say that there is any kind of sabotage or cyberattack'. While this is a rare event, its not an unlikely one. Experts caution that as the world's electricity demands increase and power systems change, there needs to be more research into the vulnerabilities of these systems. "System operators and equipment owners try to ensure that such major events don't happen and to learn lessons when they do, sharing those lessons internationally once investigations have been completed,' Dr Bell said.
