Investigations are underway on major power blackouts in Spain, Portugal, and France.
Berating millions of people into darkness, trapping them in lifts, and disrupting transportation networks from city roads to airports, a never-before-seen power failure swept Spain, Portugal, and some parts of southern France on Monday afternoon. Starting in the middle of the afternoon, the blackout is said to be one of the biggest in modern European history.
What took place?
Although the precise reason is yet under study, preliminary results indicate a substantial interconnector—a high-voltage cable connecting the electricity grids of France and Spain—that is malfunctioning. This error might have momentarily isolated the Spanish grid from the larger European network.
Possibly triggered by a rare atmospheric event, high-voltage lines in Portugal showed “anomalous oscillations,” which subsequently destabilized the grid of Spain. Both governments have eliminated the first suspected cyberattack.Grid balancing, a process known as supply-demand balance, underpins electricity grids using continuous equilibrium between those forces. Particularly when intermittent by nature, such as wind and solar, are a significant part of the energy mix—then a disruption in one sector can lead to a cascade effect, as is the case in Spain.
Eurelectric’s Kristian Ruby noted the double character of the grid’s interconnectivity: “Every interconnection grid is only as strong as its weakest link.”
Comparatives with previous events
This blackout could compete with or exceed the worst in Europe thus far: the 2003 Italy-Switzerland grid failure that left 50 million people without power for up to twelve hours. More recently, a 2021 interconnector issue between France and Spain triggered a smaller power failure impacting a million people.
Key elements causing the power down and grid interconnector breakdown between France and Spain. Rarities in the atmosphere that interfere with power transfer. Particularly with the loads of air conditioning systems, and high summer electricity use in Iberia. Great reliance on renewable energy, which makes life balancing more complicated
Looking Forward
Experts caution that as grids become more dependent on renewable energy without corresponding investment in smart grid infrastructure or storage, such events might become more frequent. After this disaster, European officials should check regional grid resilience and interconnector reliability.
