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DW
21-05-2025
- Business
- DW
What the blackout in Spain, Portugal says about renewables – DW – 05/20/2025
The recent power outage in Spain and Portugal has raised questions about the stability of solar and wind power. It also reignited the debate around the phasing out of nuclear energy. At 12:33 p.m. on April 28, swathes of Spain and parts of Portugal were plunged into darkness: trains were stranded, phone and internet coverage faltered, and ATMs stopped working. The electricity blackout across the Iberian Peninsula is believed to be one of the worst in Europe's history. While most power was restored by the next morning, weeks later the investigation into the blackout is ongoing. Last week, Spain's energy minister Sara Aagesen said so far it was clear an abrupt loss of power at a substation in Granada, followed by failures in Badajoz and Seville, led to a loss of 2.2 gigawatts of electricity, but that the precise cause was unknown. In the wait for answers, some have pointed the finger at Spain's high reliance on renewables and reignited debates over plans to phase out nuclear power by 2035. How Spain's nationwide power outage hit businesses To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Are renewables to blame for the blackout? Spain is one of the leaders in Europe's green energy transition and has ambitious targets for renewables to provide 81% of its electricity by 2030. Last year they accounted for a record 56% of the country's electricity and solar capacity grew at almost twice the European rate. Shortly before the blackout, renewables accounted for around 70% of Spain's electricity production, mostly from solar. This has been used by members of the opposition party and nuclear advocates to suggest that overreliance on renewables was at fault — which both the country's grid operator Red Electrica de Espana and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have disputed. Nuclear currently provides around 20% of the country's electricity. While solar and wind are dependent on weather, nuclear can provide a relatively continuous baseload power. However, Sanchez has said there is no evidence more nuclear capacity would have prevented April 28th's events. Using the event to speculate against solar is more politically motivated than factually-based, said Rutger Schlatmann, head of solar energy at Helmholtz Zentrum, an energy research center in Berlin. Schlatmann points to the fact that the high percentage of renewables in the grid was nothing unique. "This has happened many times before." Earlier last month, Spain managed to cover 100% of electricity demand on a weekday with renewables alone. Schlatmann added that countries like Germany also have experienced a high percentage of electricity from renewables while remaining one of the most stable power systems in the world. How to improve grid stability? Experts suggest the Spanish blackout highlights grid stability issues more than problems with renewable energy sources. "It's mainly that the system has not adapted on the grid scale enough yet to the massive change towards these renewable sources," said Schlatmann, adding many electricity grids still reflect the demands of a fossil fuel system. The grid is often described as the most complex system ever devised by humans — encompassing an intricate network of generators, transmission and distribution lines that all need to be kept in balance to function. Nuclear, coal and gas power plants have huge steel generators that provide large rotating mass — often referred to as inertia — that can maintain stability if there are fluctuations in the grid. While removing these from our power grid changes the way a system behaves, it is now possible to replace their stabilizing function, explains Robert Pietzcker, senior scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. "You can do virtual inertia, like with these inverters that have grid-forming capabilities." Inverters with grid forming capabilities help create a type of "synthetic inertia" and stabilize fluctuations in the electricity system. The technology to create synthetic inertia — which involves electrical storage and improved control systems — are already available on a commercial scale but aren't yet implemented on a national or European scale, said Schlatmann. Other solutions that can also provide stability are flywheels, with the largest in the world today built in Ireland. Flywheels use cylindrical rotors that accelerate at a high speed, storing kinetic energy that can be used quickly when needed. How hackers could attack Europe's energy grid To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Better battery storage and increasing flexibility in grid systems is important, said Stefan Thomas, head of energy, transport and climate policy at the Wuppertal Institute in Germany. "More connections to neighboring countries that can help to keep the system in synchronization around the 50 Hertz." Maintaining a stable 50 Hertz frequency is essential to the stability of Europe's electricity grid. He highlights Germany as an example of a country with good connections to other countries and a high degree of stability. Things such as electric vehicles — which can store power and then feed it back into the grid when needed — could also help provide flexibility, added Thomas. For regions like northern Europe, that may experience periods of little wind and sun, backup capacity, which could be provided by sources such as hydrogen turbines, may be necessary, said Pietzcker. Investments into renewables going strong, but more needed for grids Electric vehicles, chips, AI and air conditioning are helping to fuel a rapid growth in electricity demand. The technological solutions for a low carbon and stable grid are now available, said Pietzcker. "With today's understanding of systems, you can design stable systems that will be as resilient based on renewables." While grid stability is holding back the roll out of renewables in Europe a little, he says in the EU the commission is strongly pushing for more interconnectedness. The amount of investment in grids globally needs to double by 2030 to over $600 billion (€532 billion) a year, according to the International Energy Agency. The annual investment into grids has stayed almost the same since 2010, while investments into renewables have nearly doubled. In the wake of Spain's blackout, Jordi Sevilla, the former president of the country's grid operator Red Electrica, told Spanish media it was clear that the country's grid required funding to adapt to the reality of the new generation mix. Edited by: Sarah Steffen
Time of India
20-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
What does the recent blackout tell us about renewables?
What does the recent blackout tell us about renewables? (AP) At 12:33 p.m. on April 28, swathes of Spain and parts of Portugal were plunged into darkness: trains were stranded, phone and internet coverage faltered, and ATMs stopped working. The electricity blackout across the Iberian Peninsula is believed to be one of the worst in Europe's history. While most power was restored by the next morning, weeks later the investigation into the blackout is ongoing. Last week, Spain's energy minister Sara Aagesen said so far it was clear an abrupt loss of power at a substation in Granada, followed by failures in Badajoz and Seville, led to a loss of 2.2 gigawatts of electricity, but that the precise cause was unknown. In the wait for answers, some have pointed the finger at Spain's high reliance on renewables and reignited debates over plans to phase out nuclear power by 2035. Are renewables to blame? Spain is one of the leaders in Europe's green energy transition and has ambitious targets for renewables to provide 81% of its electricity by 2030. Last year they accounted for a record 56% of the country's electricity and solar capacity grew at almost twice the European rate. Shortly before the blackout, renewables accounted for around 70% of Spain's electricity production, mostly from solar. This has been used by members of the opposition party and nuclear advocates to suggest that overreliance on renewables was at fault — which both the country's grid operator Red Electrica de Espana and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez have disputed. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Giao dịch Bitcoin và Ethereum - Không cần ví! IC Markets BẮT ĐẦU NGAY Nuclear currently provides around 20% of the country's electricity. While solar and wind are dependent on weather, nuclear can provide a relatively continuous baseload power. However, Sanchez has said there is no evidence more nuclear capacity would have prevented April 28th's events. Using the event to speculate against solar is more politically motivated than factually-based, said Rutger Schlatmann , head of solar energy at Helmholtz Zentrum, an energy research center in Berlin. Schlatmann points to the fact that the high percentage of renewables in the grid was nothing unique. "This has happened many times before." Earlier last month, Spain managed to cover 100% of electricity demand on a weekday with renewables alone. Schlatmann added that countries like Germany also have experienced a high percentage of electricity from renewables while remaining one of the most stable power systems in the world. How to improve grid stability? Experts suggest the Spanish blackout highlights grid stability issues more than problems with renewable energy sources. "It's mainly that the system has not adapted on the grid scale enough yet to the massive change towards these renewable sources," said Schlatmann, adding many electricity grids still reflect the demands of a fossil fuel system. The grid is often described as the most complex system ever devised by humans — encompassing an intricate network of generators, transmission and distribution lines that all need to be kept in balance to function. Nuclear, coal and gas power plants have huge steel generators that provide large rotating mass — often referred to as inertia — that can maintain stability if there are fluctuations in the grid. While removing these from our power grid changes the way a system behaves, it is now possible to replace their stabilizing function, explains Robert Pietzcker , senior scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. "You can do virtual inertia, like with these inverters that have grid-forming capabilities." Inverters with grid forming capabilities help create a type of "synthetic inertia" and stabilize fluctuations in the electricity system. The technology to create synthetic inertia — which involves electrical storage and improved control systems — are already available on a commercial scale but aren't yet implemented on a national or European scale, said Schlatmann. Other solutions that can also provide stability are flywheels, with the largest in the world today built in Ireland. Flywheels use cylindrical rotors that accelerate at a high speed, storing kinetic energy that can be used quickly when needed. Better battery storage and increasing flexibility in grid systems is important, said Stefan Thomas , head of energy, transport and climate policy at the Wuppertal Institute in Germany. "More connections to neighboring countries that can help to keep the system in synchronization around the 50 Hertz." Maintaining a stable 50 Hertz frequency is essential to the stability of Europe's electricity grid. He highlights Germany as an example of a country with good connections to other countries and a high degree of stability. Things such as electric vehicles — which can store power and then feed it back into the grid when needed — could also help provide flexibility, added Thomas . For regions like northern Europe, that may experience periods of little wind and sun, backup capacity, which could be provided by sources such as hydrogen turbines, may be necessary, said Pietzcker. Investments into renewables going strong, but more needed for grids Electric vehicles, chips, AI and air conditioning are helping to fuel a rapid growth in electricity demand. The technological solutions for a low carbon and stable grid are now available, said Pietzcker. "With today's understanding of systems, you can design stable systems that will be as resilient based on renewables." While grid stability is holding back the roll out of renewables in Europe a little, he says in the EU the commission is strongly pushing for more interconnectedness. The amount of investment in grids globally needs to double by 2030 to over $600 billion (€532 billion) a year, according to the International Energy Agency. The annual investment into grids has stayed almost the same since 2010, while investments into renewables have nearly doubled. In the wake of Spain's blackout, Jordi Sevilla, the former president of the country's grid operator Red Electrica, told Spanish media it was clear that the country's grid required funding to adapt to the reality of the new generation mix.
DW
20-05-2025
- Business
- DW
What does the recent blackout tell us about renewables? – DW – 05/20/2025
Last month's power outage in Spain and Portugal has prompted questions over the stability of solar and wind. In its wake, debates around the phasing out of nuclear energy have been reignited. At 12.33pm on the 28th of April, swathes of Spain and parts of Portugal were plunged into darkness: trains were stranded, phone and internet coverage faltered, and ATMs stopped working. The electricity blackout across the Iberian Peninsula is believed to be one of the worst in Europe's history. While most power was restored by the next morning, weeks later the investigation into the blackout is ongoing. Last week, Spain's energy minister Sara Aagesen said so far it was clear an abrupt loss of power at a substation in Granada, followed by failures in Badajoz and Seville, led to a loss of 2.2 gigawatts of electricity, but that the precise cause was unknown. In the wait for answers, some have pointed the finger at Spain's high reliance on renewables and reignited debates over plans to phase out nuclear power by 2035. How Spain's nationwide power outage hit businesses To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Are renewables to blame? Spain is one of the leaders in Europe's green energy transition and has ambitious targets for renewables to provide 81% of its electricity by 2030. Last year they accounted for a record 56% of the country's electricity and solar capacity grew at almost twice the European rate. Shortly before the blackout, renewables accounted for around 70% of Spain's electricity production, mostly from solar. This has been used by members of the opposition party and nuclear advocates to suggest that overreliance on renewables was at fault — which both the country's grid operator Red Electrica de Espana and prime minister Pedro Sanchez have disputed. Nuclear currently provides around 20% of the country's electricity. While solar and wind are dependent on weather, nuclear can provide a relatively continuous baseload power. However, Sanchez has said there is no evidence more nuclear capacity would have prevented April 28th's events. Using the event to speculate against solar is more politically motivated than factually-based, said Rutger Schlatmann, head of solar energy at Helmholtz Zentrum, an energy research center in Berlin. Schlatmann points to the fact that the high percentage of renewables in the grid was nothing unique. "This has happened many times before." Earlier last month Spain managed to cover 100% of electricity demand on a weekday with renewables alone. Schlatmann added that countries like Germany also have experienced a high percentage of electricity from renewables while remaining one of the most stable power systems in the world. How to improve grid stability? Experts suggest the Spanish blackout highlights grid stability issues more than problems with renewable energy sources. "It's mainly that the system has not adapted on the grid scale enough yet to the massive change towards these renewable sources," said Schlatmann, adding many electricity grids still reflect the demands of a fossil fuel system. The grid is often described as the most complex system ever devised by humans — encompassing an intricate network of generators, transmission and distribution lines that all need to be kept in balance to function. Nuclear, coal and gas power plants have huge steel generators that provide large rotating mass — often referred to as inertia — that can maintain stability if there are fluctuations in the grid. While removing these from our power grid changes the way a system behaves, it is now possible to replace their stabilizing function, explains Robert Pietzcker, senior scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. "You can do virtual inertia, like with these inverters that have grid forming capabilities." Inverters with grid forming capabilities help create a type of "synthetic inertia" and stabilize fluctuations in the electricity system. The technology to create synthetic inertia — which involves electrical storage and improved control systems — are already available on a commercial scale but aren't yet implemented on a national or European scale, said Schlatmann. Other solutions that can also provide stability are flywheels, with the largest in the world today built in Ireland. Flywheels use cylindrical rotors that accelerate at a high speed, storing kinetic energy that can be used quickly when needed. How hackers could attack Europe's energy grid To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Better battery storage and increasing flexibility in grid systems is important, said Stefan Thomas, head of energy, transport and climate policy at the Wuppertal Institute in Germany. "More connections to neighboring countries that can help to keep the system in synchronization around the 50 Hertz." Maintaining a stable 50 Hertz frequency is essential to the stability of Europe's electricity grid. He highlights Germany as an example of a country with good connections to other countries and a high degree of stability. Things such as electric vehicles — which can store power and then feed it back into the grid when needed — could also help provide flexibility, added Thomas. For regions like northern Europe, that may experience periods of little wind and sun, back up capacity, which could be provided by sources such as hydrogen turbines, may be necessary, said Pietzcker. Investments into renewables going strong, but more needed for grids Electric vehicles, chips, AI and air conditioning are helping to fuel a rapid growth in electricity demand. The technological solutions for a low carbon and stable grid are now available, said Pietzcker. "You can clearly with today's understanding of systems, you can design stable systems that will be as resilient based on renewables." While grid stability is holding back the roll out of renewables in Europe a little, he says in the EU the commission is strongly pushing more interconnectedness. The amount of investment in grids globally needs to double by 2030 to over $600 billion a year, according to the International Energy Agency. The annual investment into grids has stayed almost the same since 2010, while investments into renewables have nearly doubled. In the wake of Spain's blackout, Jordi Sevilla, the former president of the country's grid operator Red Electrica, told Spanish media it was clear that the country's grid required funding to adapt to the reality of the new generation mix. Edited by: Sarah Steffen
CNBC
12-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Spain's unprecedented power outage sparks a blackout blame game over green energy
A catastrophic power outage affecting much of Spain, Portugal and the south of France has thrust the role of renewables and energy security into the spotlight. An abrupt and widespread blackout, one of Europe's worst in living memory, affected the entire Iberian Peninsula on April 28. The outage, which lasted for several hours, plunged much of the region into darkness, stranded thousands of train passengers and left millions without phone or internet coverage or access to cash from ATMs. Spanish authorities have since launched several investigations to determine the root cause of the incident, including a probe into whether a cyberattack could be to blame. Alongside Spanish opposition parties, some external observers have flagged renewables and net-zero emissions targets as possible reasons for the outage, particularly given Spain and Portugal both rely on high levels of wind and solar for their electricity grid. "It's very sad to see what's happened to Portugal and Spain and so many people there, but you know, when you hitch your wagon to the weather, it's just a risky endeavor," U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC's "Power Lunch" on April 28. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the country's grid operator Red Electrica de Espana (REE) have both said record levels of renewable energy were not at fault for the blackout. European Union energy chief Dan Jorgensen, meanwhile, said that there was "nothing unusual" about the sources of energy supplying electricity to the system at the time of the outage. "So, the causes of the blackout cannot be reduced to a specific source of energy, for instance renewables," he added. European energy technology companies called for observers to refrain from drawing their own conclusions in the absence of a formal explanation from authorities. Henrik Andersen, CEO of Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, said he'd encourage "a degree of statesmanship" over the blackout, particularly as Spanish policymakers continue to investigate. "First of all, energy security means that you can run societies without having blackouts. That's stating the obvious," Andersen told CNBC's "Squawk Box Europe" on Tuesday. "Everyone is grasping quick root causes and blaming each other, and I simply just don't want to go there because until we know the root cause of why grids can fail across Spain and Portugal, let's not second guess or try to blame someone at cybersecurity or blame individual energy sources," he added. "Europe needs more energy -- and we probably also need a stronger grid. That goes without saying," Andersen said. Siemens Energy CEO Christian Bruch, meanwhile, said the German energy tech group was holding talks with the relevant transmission and utility operators following the blackout. "What you do see is that when you build an energy system, you need to think about the generation, like solar, wind, gas, whatever, but you also need to think about how the overall system on the grid side [is[ operating and how you stabilize that," Bruch told CNBC on Thursday. "This is sometimes underestimated in its complexity, and this is why products from us for grid stabilizations are in demand at the moment to balance these things out," he continued. "It's possible to solve it but it will require investments and it's not easy. It's not just a couple of solar cells and some batteries. It's a little bit more complex than this," Bruch said. For those on the ground at the time of the outage, the lack of power underlined the challenges of a digital society. "Cash suddenly becomes really important," Roseanna, a resident of the southern Spanish city of Málaga, told CNBC. She said she only had 40 euros ($45.16) available when the power cut just after midday. "Obviously you can't get money out and you can't pay with card, so it's certainly important to have a little bit of cash in your pocket at all times," she continued. "We've gone all digital but the system's ruined if there's no electricity," Roseanna said.
France 24
30-04-2025
- Business
- France 24
What we know so far about the massive blackout that hit Spain and Portugal
The sweeping power outage that hit Spain and Portugal this week has raised questions about the electricity grid in a region not normally known for blackouts. Monday's outage, one of the worst ever in Europe, started in the afternoon and lasted through nightfall, affecting tens of millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula. It disrupted businesses, hospitals, transit systems, cellular networks and other critical infrastructure. Authorities in Spain and Portugal are still investigating exactly what caused the failure, though some information has emerged about happened. A timeline Spain and Portugal lost most of their electricity early Monday afternoon. Shortly after 12:30 pm local time, Spain lost 15 gigawatts of electricity – or roughly 60% of demand in the country of 49 million, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said. There had been two significant 'disconnection events' – or interruptions in power – before the outage, Spain's electric grid operator Red Electrica de Espana said Tuesday. While Spain's grid managed to recover from the first event, systems operations director Eduardo Prieto said that the second was more damaging, progressing to the point of interruptions from France's electrical system and producing 'a massive, temporary disconnection". 12:53 About three hours before the outage, power quality sensors in homes in the Madrid area showed warning signs of an unstable grid – there were small fluctuations in voltage around 9:30am local time, Whisker Labs CEO Bob Marshall said Tuesday. The Maryland-based software developer has a couple of dozen sensors in homes in and around Madrid, testing the technology for use in Europe for home fire prevention and grid monitoring. Instead of normal, steady voltage, Marshall said the data shows there were oscillations whose frequency and magnitude increased over the next three hours until the grid failed. He does not know what caused the instability. Around noon, there was a big jump in the magnitude of the fluctuations, with the voltage measured going up and down by about 15 volts every 1.5 seconds, Marshall said. 'The way I would interpret our data," Marshall said about Monday's events, "is that the grid is struggling. Something's wrong. And it's showing increasing signs of instability". Unknown cause We don't know exactly what caused Monday's fluctuations and eventual failure. 'There's a variety of things that usually happen at the same time, and it's very difficult for any event to say 'this was the root cause,'' said Eamonn Lannoye, managing director at the Electric Power Research Institute, Europe. Lannoye said there was a range of events that can explain grid failures, including that electric grid lines or generators are switched off in some locations for maintenance. 'This could be a really complex event, I think it's fair to say,' Lannoye said. Power outages can have several triggers, including natural disasters and extreme weather, human-caused disasters, equipment failures, overloading transformers and wires and so on. Electric grids are sensitive to imbalances in the amount of energy generated versus what's used. Enric Bartlett, an energy expert and professor of public policy at Spain's Esade business school, likened a grid's supply and demand balance to a tandem bike. 'To avoid falling, everyone must pedal at the same cadence,' Barlett said. 'Electrical grids are large interconnected systems, and their stability is related to a very close balance between electricity generation and demand," said Grazia Todeschini, an engineering researcher at King's College London. 'If one area is disconnected, it can cause knock-on effects in nearby areas,' she said, adding that while grids have measures in place to limit the impact of outages to small areas, when the imbalance is large, disruptions can spread quickly and far. Authorities in Spain and Portugal have downplayed the idea that a cyberattack was responsible. Spain's High Court said it would investigate to find the cause. Renewable energy On Tuesday, there was renewed attention on Spain's renewable energy generation. The southern European nation is a leader in solar and wind power generation, with more than half of its energy last year having come from renewable sources. Portugal also generates a majority of its energy from renewable sources. Questions remain about whether Spain's heavy renewable energy supply may have made its grid system more susceptible to the type of outage that took place Monday. The thinking goes that non-renewable energy sources, such as coal and natural gas, can better weather the type of fluctuations observed Monday on Spain's grid. That is because renewable energies like solar and wind provide intermittent supply, relying on when the sun is shinning and wind is blowing. However, in recent years batteries that store energy, along with other methods, have helped regulate changes in electricity supply from renewables. Lannoye said it was too early to draw a straight line between Monday's event and Spain's solar power generation. 'I think there's some putting the cart before the horse to say this was solar,' Lannoye said, simply because there was solar power on the grid at the time of the disruption. Europe's electric grid is highly connected, meaning that it can pool power between countries. That can make the system more resilient, experts say. It also means a disruption in a major transmission artery or frequency imbalance can trigger cascading protective shutdowns across countries, according to Shreenithi Lakshmi Narasimhan, member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. Spain and Portugal are connected to Europe's main electric grid through France. Spain's grid operator on Tuesday said that the sudden drop in power caused an interconnector between Spain and France to trip.
