Latest news with #JoaoConceicao
Scottish Sun
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Scottish Sun
Spain and Portugal power outage – Cheering in streets as electricity FINALLY returns after countries ground to halt
LIGHTS ON Spain and Portugal power outage – Cheering in streets as electricity FINALLY returns after countries ground to halt CHEERS erupted across Spain and Portugal on Monday night as electricity finally flickered back to life following a colossal blackout that plunged the Iberian peninsula into darkness. The major outage brought two nations to a grinding halt — grounding flights, crippling public transport, knocking out hospitals, and shuttering stores from Lisbon to Barcelona. Advertisement 2 Electricity finally returned to Spain and Portugal after a major outage 2 People cheered as power came back to the streets of Lisbon The cause of the massive blackout, which began around 10.33am UK time, remains unclear. Spain's Interior Ministry declared a national emergency and deployed 30,000 police to maintain order as both governments held emergency cabinet meetings. 'This is something that has never happened before,' said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. About 61% of Spain's power was restored by Monday night, with electricity returning first to the Basque Country, Barcelona, and parts of Madrid. Advertisement In Portugal, grid operator REN confirmed 85 out of 89 substations were back online, including the capital Lisbon. On the streets, people celebrated. Some cooked meals by candlelight, others flocked to plazas in impromptu gatherings, and supermarket shelves were stripped bare as residents rushed to stock up. But what caused both countries to plunge into darkness is still unknown. 'There could be a thousand and one causes, it's premature to assess the cause,' said Joao Conceicao, a board member of Portugal's grid operator REN. Advertisement He suggested, however, the blackout may have begun with a 'very large oscillation in electrical voltage, first in the Spanish system, which then spread to the Portuguese system'. Spain's grid operator REE pointed to a connection failure with France. 'The extent of the loss of power was beyond what European systems are designed to handle and caused a disconnection of the Spanish and French grids, which in turn led to the collapse of the Spanish electric system,' said REE's Eduardo Prieto. Pedro Sanchez revealed Spain lost 15GW of electricity in just five seconds - equivalent to 60% of the country's demand. Advertisement 'Technicians were working to figure out why that sudden drop occurred,' he said. Despite swirling rumours of sabotage, Portuguese PM Luis Montenegro said there was 'no indication' of a cyberattack. Still, Sanchez confirmed he had spoken to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte as a precaution. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online Advertisement is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
The Irish Sun
29-04-2025
- Climate
- The Irish Sun
Spain and Portugal power outage – Cheering in streets as electricity FINALLY returns after countries ground to halt
CHEERS erupted across Spain and Portugal on Monday night as electricity finally flickered back to life following a colossal blackout that plunged the Iberian peninsula into darkness. The major outage brought two nations to a grinding halt — grounding flights, crippling public transport, knocking out hospitals, and shuttering stores from Lisbon to Barcelona. 1 Electricity finally returned to Spain and Portugal after a major outage The cause of the massive blackout, which began around 10.33am UK time, remains unclear. Spain's Interior Ministry declared a national emergency and deployed 30,000 police to maintain order as both governments held emergency cabinet meetings. 'This is something that has never happened before,' said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. About 61% of Spain's power was restored by Monday night, with electricity returning first to the Basque Country, Barcelona, and parts of Madrid. In Portugal, grid operator REN confirmed 85 out of 89 substations were back online, including the capital Lisbon. On the streets, people celebrated. Some cooked meals by candlelight, others flocked to plazas in impromptu gatherings, and supermarket shelves were stripped bare as residents rushed to stock up. But what caused both countries to plunge into darkness is still unknown. 'There could be a thousand and one causes, it's premature to assess the cause,' said Joao Conceicao, a board member of Portugal's grid operator REN. Most read in The Sun He suggested, however, the blackout may have begun with a 'very large oscillation in electrical voltage, first in the Spanish system, which then spread to the Portuguese system'. Spain's grid operator REE pointed to a connection failure with France. 'The extent of the loss of power was beyond what European systems are designed to handle and caused a disconnection of the Spanish and French grids, which in turn led to the collapse of the Spanish electric system,' said REE's Eduardo Prieto. Pedro Sanchez revealed Spain lost 15GW of electricity in just five seconds - equivalent to 60% of the country's demand. 'Technicians were working to figure out why that sudden drop occurred,' he said. More to follow... For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at
The Sun
29-04-2025
- Climate
- The Sun
Spain and Portugal power outage – Cheering in streets as electricity FINALLY returns after countries ground to halt
CHEERS erupted across Spain and Portugal on Monday night as electricity finally flickered back to life following a colossal blackout that plunged the Iberian peninsula into darkness. The major outage brought two nations to a grinding halt — grounding flights, crippling public transport, knocking out hospitals, and shuttering stores from Lisbon to Barcelona. 1 The cause of the massive blackout, which began around 10.33am UK time, remains unclear. Spain's Interior Ministry declared a national emergency and deployed 30,000 police to maintain order as both governments held emergency cabinet meetings. 'This is something that has never happened before,' said Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. About 61% of Spain's power was restored by Monday night, with electricity returning first to the Basque Country, Barcelona, and parts of Madrid. In Portugal, grid operator REN confirmed 85 out of 89 substations were back online, including the capital Lisbon. On the streets, people celebrated. Some cooked meals by candlelight, others flocked to plazas in impromptu gatherings, and supermarket shelves were stripped bare as residents rushed to stock up. But what caused both countries to plunge into darkness is still unknown. 'There could be a thousand and one causes, it's premature to assess the cause,' said Joao Conceicao, a board member of Portugal's grid operator REN. He suggested, however, the blackout may have begun with a 'very large oscillation in electrical voltage, first in the Spanish system, which then spread to the Portuguese system'. Spain's grid operator REE pointed to a connection failure with France. 'The extent of the loss of power was beyond what European systems are designed to handle and caused a disconnection of the Spanish and French grids, which in turn led to the collapse of the Spanish electric system,' said REE's Eduardo Prieto. is your go-to destination for the best celebrity news, real-life stories, jaw-dropping pictures and must-see video. Like us on Facebook at and follow us from our main Twitter account at @TheSun.
Reuters
28-04-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Portugal's REN says no sign blackout caused by cyberattack
LISBON, April 28 (Reuters) - Portuguese grid operator REN ( opens new tab said on Monday it had "no information" that the mass power outages that hit the Iberian Peninsula were caused by a cyberattack. REN board member Joao Conceicao told reporters the operator did not rule out that the blackout was due to a "very large oscillation in the electrical voltages, first in the Spanish system, which then spread to the Portuguese system". The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here. "There could be a thousand and one causes, it's premature to assess the cause," he said, adding that REN was in permanent contact with Spain. Conceicao said REN hoped to reestablish the power supply in the country's second-largest city, Porto, within the next two hours and within five or six hours in the capital, Lisbon. "If it were up to REN, the country would wake up tomorrow with electricity, but unfortunately it's not just REN that counts," he said.
