Latest news with #RedesEnergéticasNacionais
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
Spain and Portugal power cut: how public and official responses have prevented this energy emergency from becoming a crisis
For Spain and Portugal, 28 April 2025 will go down in history as the day of 'el gran apagón', the big blackout. The outage, which affected the two countries simultaneously, was one of the 15 largest power cuts in world history in terms of the number of people affected, with over 58 million people experiencing its consequences. What made it particularly remarkable was not only its magnitude, but also the response by the authorities and the public. Unlike other major historical blackouts, such as those that hit North America in 2003 and India in 2012, the response of the authorities, grid operators and supply companies made it possible to reduce the impact on critical infrastructures. Restoration of service progressed throughout the day as hospitals, airports and essential services remained operational thanks to their backup systems, a clear demonstration of the importance of robust emergency protocols. A key factor in this relatively quick response was the action of REDEIA, the Spanish grid operator, which has more than four decades of experience in managing the country's high-voltage transmission system. Their social media explanations on how recovery is progressing continue to be particularly invaluable. The company activated its contingency protocols, and coordinated with its Portuguese counterpart, REN (Redes Energéticas Nacionais). This cross-border collaboration was essential to isolating the initial failure and preventing a domino effect that could have caused the blackout to spread to other European regions. The blackout has also highlighted the importance of maintaining continuous investment in real-time monitoring technologies and smart grid management systems. These systems allow anomalies to be detected quickly and responded to accurately, even for incidents on an enormous scale involving interconnected electricity systems like Europe's. Leer más: While investigations to determine the exact causes of the blackout are still ongoing, initial hypotheses point to technical factors. While some have suggested an intentional attack, there is currently no evidence that this is the case. The incident underscores the need to continue strengthening electricity infrastructures to make them more resilient to extreme events, especially in the face of energy transition and climate change. Although fundamental for sustainability, the increasing integration of renewable energies in the Iberian energy mix poses new challenges to grid stability that will require innovative solutions. Leer más: The public's response was also key to the response, with few incidents reported despite the magnitude of the power outage. The emergency services recorded a high but manageable volume of calls, but these came mainly from people seeking information rather than in critical situations. Social media, accessible through battery-powered mobile devices, served as an alternative information channel, allowing authorities to share recommendations and updates on progress in restoring service. Radio also became essential, as it did in previous emergency situations such as the October 2024 floods in Valencia and Storm Filomena in 2021. The blackout will have major repercussions for the European Union's energy policies. While the Iberian system has proven its resilience, the incident reinforces the need to boost investments in electricity interconnections between EU Member States, and in energy storage systems that can provide emergency backup. The European Commission has already announced that it will study the power outage in detail in order to draw conclusions for the continental electricity grid as a whole, as part of its objectives in the European Green Pact and decarbonisation strategy for 2050. Despite its historic magnitude, the Iberian blackout has demonstrated that preparedness, investment in robust infrastructures and effective coordination between operators are decisive factors in minimising the impact of this type of crisis. The responses of REDEIA and REN, together with the public's responsible behaviour, has turned what could have been a catastrophe into a case study in the management of energy emergencies. As the peninsula's energy supply is still gradually being restored, work is already underway to strengthen an energy system that, despite the events of 28 April, has confirmed its position among the most reliable and advanced in the world. Este artículo fue publicado originalmente en The Conversation, un sitio de noticias sin fines de lucro dedicado a compartir ideas de expertos académicos. Lee mas: Spain-Portugal blackout: what could have caused it, and how can we prevent another? Did 'induced atmospheric vibration' cause blackouts in Europe? An electrical engineer explains the phenomenon Valencia floods: How proper response can stop a natural disaster from becoming a public health crisis Mar Rubio Varas no recibe salario, ni ejerce labores de consultoría, ni posee acciones, ni recibe financiación de ninguna compañía u organización que pueda obtener beneficio de este artículo, y ha declarado carecer de vínculos relevantes más allá del cargo académico citado.
Daily Mail
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
From Spain's heavy reliance on solar and wind to ‘anomalous oscillations' in power lines, scientists reveal what's to blame for the Iberian Peninsula's cascading power outage
As widespread power outages cause chaos in Spain and Portugal, authorities are scrambling to determine what caused one of Europe's biggest blackout. Described as 'catastrophically bad', the outage grounded flights, sent roads into gridlock as traffic lights failed, and left entire cities without power or telecommunications. Now, scientists reveal the true reason for the massive outage - and why the chaos is so widespread. Experts say the blackout is likely due to a combination of factors including Spain 's reliance on green energy and 'anomalous oscillations' in power lines. While authorities say that a cyberattack is not likely, the possibility of malicious interference has not yet been ruled out. According to the Portuguese electricity operator Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), the blackouts began at 11:33 am BST on Monday. Almost all of Spain and Portugal were affected as the Iberian Peninsula's power grid was cut off from the wider European grid (ENTSO-E). As of Tuesday morning, Spain's biggest electricity operator, REE, says 92 per cent of Spain has had power restored while 80 per cent of customers in Portugal have electricity. 'RARE ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON' On Monday, REN, Portugal's grid operator, said the widespread blackouts over Spain and Portugal had been caused by a 'rare atmospheric phenomenon'. Extreme temperature variations along the grid caused 'anomalous oscillations' in high-voltage power lines, beginning in Spain and spreading into Portugal. In a statement, REN said: 'Due to extreme temperature variations in the interior of Spain, there were anomalous oscillations in the very high voltage lines.' However, even the experts say it isn't entirely clear what this might actually mean, and REN hasn't given any extra details. Professor Victor Becerra, Professor of Power Systems Engineering at the University of Portsmouth suggests that it could be related to the extreme wind created by temperature variations. Professor Becerra says these high winds could have caused the cables to shake in an effect known as 'galloping'. This could have led to 'potential mechanical failure, such as snapped conductors, short circuits, or damage to key infrastructure like transmission towers.' Others have argued that, in extremely high temperatures, power cables can interact with induced electrical charges in the atmosphere - triggering vibrations. Professor Chenghong Gu, an electrical engineering expert at the University of Bath, said: 'This vibration can cause fatigue of conductors and in very extreme cases, failures of conductors.' However, most of the scientific literature on the effects of temperature variations suggests that problems are likely to be caused by an imbalanced drain on the grid. When one area is significantly hotter than another, its power demand is much greater as people use air conditioning to cool their homes. This causes the voltage and frequency of some parts of the grid to get out of sync with the rest of the grid. The differences between the different sections can lead to irregular or excessive power flow to some areas, damaging equipment and triggering widespread power failures. In reality, the source of the cascading failure might have been a combination of different factors. Professor David Brayshaw, Professor of Climate Science and Energy Meteorology at the University of Reading, says: '[Power systems] must balance supply and demand almost instantaneously, and generators need to stay precisely in sync. '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.' RELIANCE ON SOLAR AND WIND The bigger question is why a localised fault was able to trigger such widespread disruption and cause one of Europe's largest-ever blackouts. Some have suggested that an extreme reliance on renewable energy sources including solar and wind may be responsible for the scale of the chaos. Spain is uniquely dependent on renewable sources of power and has transitioned to a green network with exceptional speed. Just two decades ago, 80 per cent of the country's power came from fossil fuels such as coal and gas while renewables made up just five per cent. But pandemonium struck at lunchtime yesterday when solar power and wind were together making up more than 80 per cent of electricity generation. Traditional forms of power generation, including green options like nuclear or hydroelectric power, use spinning parts which build up 'inertia' as they move. When there are changes to demand on the grid, these spinning parts can speed up or slow down to help keep the power frequency consistent. This essentially acts like suspension for the power grid, helping it to absorb shocks from changes like sudden temperature variations. Since solar panels and wind turbines don't generate inertia, a grid heavy in these sources is more vulnerable to rapid changes. Because Spain has very little power storage and lots of renewables, some experts believe a cascading issue was more likely to occur. Kathryn Porter, an independent energy analyst, told The Telegraph: 'In a low-inertia environment the frequency can change much faster. 'If you have had a significant grid fault in one area, or a cyber-attack, or whatever it may be, the grid operators therefore have less time to react.' CYBER ATTACK As the chaos spread, suspicion immediately turned to a cyberattack as a possible source of the disruption, while cannot be ruled out. Steve Sandford, partner at cybersecurity firm CyXcel, told MailOnline: 'While the exact cause of the outage is still under investigation, there are several factors that suggest that the blackouts could be caused by a cyber-related incident. 'The sudden and dramatic drop in electricity demand, the widespread impact on critical infrastructure, and the disruption extending to parts of southern France and Andorra suggest a coordinated cyber-related incident.' Mr Sandford adds: 'Airports, metro systems, telecommunications networks, and traffic lights were all affected, which aligns with typical critical infrastructure targets.' Although attacks on national infrastructure are rare, this would not be the first time that a nation's electricity grid has been disrupted by a digital attack. Jake Moore, global cybersecurity advisor at ESET, told MailOnline: 'Power grids are tightly secured but all systems naturally have their vulnerabilities. 'Outdated, legacy computers still feature in our critical national infrastructure and even in our banks which can often become an interesting target.' In 2015, computers in the Ukrainian energy grid became infected by a malware called BlackEnergy which had been specifically designed to target industrial systems. Once inside the network, the virus allowed hackers to remotely operate circuit breakers and erase key files on the target systems, rendering them inoperable. While BlackEnergy is still causing issues for many in Western Ukraine, the initial attacks left approximately 225,000 people without power. However, if cybercriminals truly were behind the attack, Spain and Portugal's blackouts would be on a far grander scale. Currently, experts and national authorities say there is no evidence that a cyberattack has taken place, but malicious interference is not being ruled out. Adam Pilton, cybersecurity advisor at Heimdal Security and former cybercrime Detective Sergeant with Dorset Police, told MailOnline: 'The department of national security has said that it is still too early to know what caused the power outage and nothing is ruled out. 'It was only last month that we heard that a Chinese threat actor Volt Typhoon had hacked into a small public power utility in Massachusetts and then rather worryingly, the attackers sat there unnoticed for 300 days effectively spying on the power suppliers' daily operations.' Yet most experts, including Mr Pilton, currently believe that a cyberattack is not likely. The European Council president, António Costa, who was Portugal's prime minister from 2015 to 2024, said 'there is no evidence that it was a cyber-attack'. Likewise, European Commission vice-president Teresa Ribera told Spain's Radio 5 that there was no evidence of criminals having caused the outage. James Bore, managing director of cyber technology firm Bores Group, told MailOnline: 'I can state, with 90 per cent certainty that it wasn't a cyberattack.' Mr Bore explains that the attack was 'too poorly timed' and included 'no real sign of any way to profit' - which makes a criminal attack unlikely. Likewise, an attack on this scale would almost certainly require the resources and expertise of a nation-state or at least a nation-state-backed threat group - which is also extremely unlikely. Mr Bore says: 'The only places we've seen nation-state cyberattacks are as a support tactic for kinetic warfare, such as in Ukraine. 'With the capabilities nation-states have and the potential damage that could be done in retaliation, there's a reluctance to push conflicts into the cyber sphere where it comes to critical national infrastructure.' How extreme weather event could cause Spain blackouts REN, Portugal's grid operator says that the widespread blackouts over Spain and Portugal have been caused by a 'rare atmospheric phenomenon'. The operator says that extreme temperature variations along the grid had led to 'anomalous oscillations' in very high-voltage power lines. This effect, known as 'induced atmospheric variation' leads to power oscillations throughout the grid. This causes the voltage and frequency of some parts of the grid to get out of sync with the rest of the grid. The differences between the different sections can lead to irregular or excessive power flow to some areas, damaging equipment and triggering widespread power failures. According to REN, these oscillations lead to 'successive disturbances across the interconnected European network' which caused today's blackouts. Temperature differences lead to oscillations in the grid, primarily due to the sudden imbalance of electricity demand. When one area on the grid is exceptionally hot, the demand for electricity increases as people turn on air conditioning units to cool their homes.
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
'Exceptional' power outage hits millions in Spain and Portugal; emergency declared
A massive power failure affected Spain and Portugal on Monday, causing widespread disruption. The unprecedented outage left thousands stranded on trains while millions lost access to phone and internet services, causing chaos on roads and at airports. Both countries declared a state of emergency as they struggled to manage the disruption. According to Portugal's Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), the electrical supply was disrupted across the Iberian Peninsula and parts of France after midday. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez reported that authorities continued investigating the incident hours afterwards. The blackout occurred when there was a sudden loss of 15 gigawatts of power. "This is something that has never happened before," Sanchez stated. "To give you an idea, 15 gigawatts is equivalent to approximately 60 per cent of the country's demand at that time." Sanchez confirmed that at 12:33 pm on Monday, Spain's power grid experienced this unprecedented loss within five seconds. Red Electrica's operations chief Eduardo Prieto described the situation as "exceptional and extraordinary". The Portuguese National Cybersecurity Center confirmed no evidence of a cyberattack. Teresa Ribera, European Commission executive vice president, called it "one of the most serious episodes recorded in Europe in recent times". The disruption began at midday, affecting traffic in Madrid and Lisbon. Spanish emergency services evacuated approximately 35,000 people from over 100 trains. By 11 pm, passengers from 11 trains still awaited evacuation. Essential services were severely affected. Hospitals relied on generators, whilst petrol stations ceased operations. Mobile networks largely failed, though some applications worked intermittently. The outage impacted about 60 million people across the peninsula, excluding Spain's islands and African territories. Following a National Security Council meeting, Sanchez announced army deployment to distribute generators to affected areas on Tuesday. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, after emergency cabinet discussions, anticipated power restoration by day's end. Portuguese officials suggested the problem originated outside their country, according to national news agency Lusa. Spain's electrical network data showed a significant decline in demand from 27,500 megawatts to approximately 15,000 megawatts around 12:15 pm. Spanish airports operated on emergency power systems, causing flight delays across Aena's 56 airports, including major hubs in Madrid and Barcelona. In Portugal's capital, airport terminals ceased operations, leaving tourists waiting outside. Dutch visitor Marc Brandsma told AP, "We haven't seen any plane arriving or departing in the 50 minutes we've been waiting here." The outage affected various institutions and events, including the Spanish Parliament and Madrid Open tennis tournament. Some citizens found alternative ways to spend time during the connectivity loss, whilst in Barcelona, crowds gathered outside non-functioning shops sharing information. The situation caused anxiety amongst those unable to contact family members. A Barcelona shop worker, Helen Osorio, stated, "I can't even call my boss because nothing works." Generator supplies were exhausted in Terrassa, an industrial centre 50 kilometres from Barcelona. Portuguese emergency services activated backup systems, with additional police deployed to assist with increased emergency calls, particularly regarding lift entrapments. The crisis affected various services in Portugal, including underground transport evacuations, court operations, and electronic payment systems. Spain's Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlask announced emergency measures across several regions, including Andalusia, Extremadura, Murcia, La Rioja, and Madrid. Portugal's Prime Minister Luis Montenegro declared an energy emergency, stating, "We have learnt of a general blackout in the electricity grid, which originated outside our territory, most probably in Spain." Portuguese authorities established a crisis management centre and requested public cooperation in reducing energy consumption. The power failure left numerous passengers stranded in metropolitan transport systems in both nations' capitals. Spanish governmental officials convened an emergency meeting at Moncloa to monitor developments. Power was being restored to Spain through electricity drawn from Morocco and France, as acknowledged by Spain's Prime Minister. The nation increased its hydroelectric and combined cycle thermal power production to manage the crisis. By 11 pm, Spain had restored approximately 50% of its power supply, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez committing to full restoration by Tuesday's end. This incident marked Europe's second significant power disruption following the March 20 Heathrow Airport shutdown, occurring amidst heightened vigilance against potential Russian-backed interference.
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Spain-Portugal power outage leaves tens of millions in the dark. Could it happen in the US?
Power outages left tens of millions of people in Spain and Portugal in the dark on Monday. The blackouts shut off phone service and traffic lights, stopped trains, and cut off water access for U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff following her win at the Madrid Open, along with countless others. Hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators, and gas stations stopped working. The outage also briefly impacted France, and there were reports of an internet disruption in Morocco. The cause of the outages remains under investigation, and officials with Portuguese energy company Redes Energéticas Nacionais have denied reports that it was tied to an 'atmospheric phenomenon,' according to The New York Times. Spanish President Pedro Sánchez has urged people not to speculate. 'For about six hours, we were completely isolated, unable even to make calls for information,' Michael Basquill, a resident in Torremolinos, told The Independent. 'It was a total guessing game as to what was happening.' Spanish utility Red Eléctrica and Redes Energéticas Nacionais, or REN, said managers were working to restore power to affected areas. For some, the wait may still be several hours. It was the second European outage in fewer than six weeks. In March, a fire shut down the United Kingdom's Heathrow Airport. The fire also came as authorities across Europe warned of Russian actors. 'At this point, there are no indications of any cyberattack,' António Costa, the president of the European Council, wrote in a post on social media. So, could something such as this happen in the U.S.? The short answer is yes. The contiguous states are connected through three main power grids: the Eastern Interconnection for states east of the Rocky Mountains, the Western Interconnection covering the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountain states, and the Texas Interconnected system. Within each of the regions, there are local electricity grids. Many of these grids are outdated, although there have been efforts to strengthen resilience in recent years. Still, there is no shortage of threats to the systems Americans rely on. Some are even coming from space. A solar eclipse can impact areas that rely on energy from the sun. It is also currently the sun's solar maximum period, resulting in an increase in activity, including flares and coronal mass ejections. Every grid could see outages in the throes of a particularly vicious solar storm caused by one of these ejections. The threat of cyberattacks here on Earth is also concerning. Last year, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a non-profit international regulatory authority, warned that the grids were becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. The number of virtual weak points has grown, the regulator warned. Furthermore, it cautioned that approximately half of the country is at increased risk of power supply shortfalls in the next decade, with infrastructure 'not being built fast enough to keep up with the rising demand.' Climate change — which is increasing the frequency and severity of life-threatening extreme weather events — is making fortifying grids even harder. Hurricanes made stronger and faster by climate change are expected to cause more blackouts along the Atlantic coast and states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. In Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria caused the largest blackout in America's history. That was nearly a decade ago. Since then, the U.S. territory has struggled with chronic outages, including earlier this month. Power demands to deal with regions' rising thermostat and sweltering humidity are also increasing challenges for the power grid. A study last year from The Washington Post showed a prolonged, citywide blackout with an even more acute heat wave could kill between 600 and 1,500 people in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area over just five days. Without power issues, the same wave would lead to only around 50 deaths. 'I don't think it's likely — I think it's an absolute certainty,' Brian Stone, director of the Urban Climate Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology told the Post. 'I think it's an absolute certainty that we will have an extreme heat wave and an extended blackout in the United States.' With reporting from The Associated Press
The Independent
28-04-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Spain-Portugal power outage leaves tens of millions in the dark. Could it happen in the US?
Power outages left tens of millions of people in Spain and Portugal in the dark on Monday. The blackouts shut off phone service and traffic lights, stopped trains, and cut off water access for U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff following her win at the Madrid Open, along with countless others. Hospitals and other emergency services switched to generators, and gas stations stopped working. The outage also briefly impacted France, and there were reports of an internet disruption in Morocco. The cause of the outages remains under investigation, and officials with Portuguese energy company Redes Energéticas Nacionais have denied reports that it was tied to an 'atmospheric phenomenon,' according to The New York Times. Spanish President Pedro Sánchez has urged people not to speculate. 'For about six hours, we were completely isolated, unable even to make calls for information,' Michael Basquill, a resident in Torremolinos, told The Independent. 'It was a total guessing game as to what was happening.' Spanish utility Red Eléctrica and Redes Energéticas Nacionais, or REN, said managers were working to restore power to affected areas. For some, the wait may still be several hours. It was the second European outage in fewer than six weeks. In March, a fire shut down the United Kingdom's Heathrow Airport. The fire also came as authorities across Europe warned of Russian actors. 'At this point, there are no indications of any cyberattack,' António Costa, the president of the European Council, wrote in a post on social media. So, could something such as this happen in the U.S.? The short answer is yes. The contiguous states are connected through three main power grids: the Eastern Interconnection for states east of the Rocky Mountains, the Western Interconnection covering the Pacific Ocean to the Rocky Mountain states, and the Texas Interconnected system. Within each of the regions, there are local electricity grids. Many of these grids are outdated, although there have been efforts to strengthen resilience in recent years. Still, there is no shortage of threats to the systems Americans rely on. Some are even coming from space. A solar eclipse can impact areas that rely on energy from the sun. It is also currently the sun's solar maximum period, resulting in an increase in activity, including flares and coronal mass ejections. Every grid could see outages in the throes of a particularly vicious solar storm caused by one of these ejections. The threat of cyberattacks here on Earth is also concerning. Last year, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation, a non-profit international regulatory authority, warned that the grids were becoming increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks. The number of virtual weak points has grown, the regulator warned. Furthermore, it cautioned that approximately half of the country is at increased risk of power supply shortfalls in the next decade, with infrastructure 'not being built fast enough to keep up with the rising demand.' Climate change — which is increasing the frequency and severity of life-threatening extreme weather events — is making fortifying grids even harder. Hurricanes made stronger and faster by climate change are expected to cause more blackouts along the Atlantic coast and states bordering the Gulf of Mexico. In Puerto Rico, Hurricane Maria caused the largest blackout in America's history. That was nearly a decade ago. Since then, the U.S. territory has struggled with chronic outages, including earlier this month. Power demands to deal with regions' rising thermostat and sweltering humidity are also increasing challenges for the power grid. A study last year from The Washington Post showed a prolonged, citywide blackout with an even more acute heat wave could kill between 600 and 1,500 people in the Houston, Texas, metropolitan area over just five days. Without power issues, the same wave would lead to only around 50 deaths. 'I don't think it's likely — I think it's an absolute certainty,' Brian Stone, director of the Urban Climate Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology told the Post. 'I think it's an absolute certainty that we will have an extreme heat wave and an extended blackout in the United States.'
