A significant power outage earlier this year caused major disruptions across Spain and Portugal. The blackout, which occurred on April 28, was attributed to a miscalculation by Spain’s power grid operator, Red Eléctrica de España (REE). This incident left millions without electricity, affecting airports, trains, and internet services, and leading to traffic chaos as traffic lights failed.
Authorities quickly mobilized to identify the cause of the outage, which brought parts of both countries to a standstill. Initially, there were concerns that a cyberattack might be the culprit. However, Spain’s energy minister, Sara Aagesen, later clarified that the issue stemmed from REE not having enough thermal power stations operational during peak demand hours.
Aagesen explained that the system lacked sufficient dynamic voltage control capacity, which is crucial for maintaining the stability of the electricity grid. The investigation revealed that some power plants, which are required to help regulate voltage levels, did not perform as expected. They were supposed to absorb reactive power but failed to do so, even though they were financially incentivized to maintain grid stability.
Electricity grids in Europe operate at a frequency of 50 Hertz, and even a small deviation can lead to significant problems. The report, which was expected to be made public soon, concluded that there was no evidence of a cyberattack.
This incident serves as a reminder of the delicate balance required to maintain power supply and the importance of proper management within energy systems. As countries continue to rely on complex electricity grids, ensuring adequate resources and infrastructure is vital to prevent similar outages in the future.