Recent Blackout in Spain Attributed to Electrical Generation Failures
Spain's government reports critical losses in electrical generation prior to nationwide blackout
On April 28, Spain experienced its most significant blackout in history, affecting the entire Peninsula and neighboring Portugal.
The situation began with three successive losses of electrical generation in the provinces of Granada, Badajoz, and Sevilla, resulting in a total loss of 2.2 gigawatts of power within a span of twenty seconds, equivalent to the output of more than two nuclear reactors.
This information was presented by the Third Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, during a session at the Congress of Deputies.
Aagesen stated that the first incident occurred in a substation in Granada three seconds before 12:33 PM, followed by another loss in a substation in Badajoz 19 seconds later, and finally in a Sevilla substation 20 seconds thereafter.
The rapid sequence of these failures triggered a disconnect cascade due to overvoltage, ultimately leading to the complete loss of supply.
Attempts by Red Eléctrica de España (REE), the operator responsible for ensuring electrical supply security, to mitigate the situation with six controlled disconnections or demand shedding measures were unsuccessful.
Aagesen reported that none of these procedures managed to halt the collapse of the system.
Experts have indicated that inadequacies in the operational protocols likely contributed to the failure, suggesting that if the barriers had functioned correctly, the blackout could have been limited to specific regions.
The investigation into the causes of the blackout is ongoing.
Although Aagesen confirmed that no indications of a cyberattack targetting REE were found, investigations into potential cyber threats to electrical plants or other system phases are still underway.
Oscillations detected in the Iberian Peninsula’s electrical system, as well as in parts of Europe half an hour before the blackout, are being analyzed for their possible connections to the incident.
Despite rising political scrutiny and allegations from opposition parties attributing the blackout to governmental energy policies, Aagesen defended the resilience of the current energy mix, emphasizing that the generation capacity was sufficient at the time.
Notably, Spain was exporting electricity to France, Portugal, and Morocco just before the blackout occurred.
The session also sparked a debate on the future of nuclear energy in Spain.
While some political factions call for extending the operational lifespans of nuclear plants beyond the previously agreed shutdown schedule, others continue to support the outlined energy transition to renewables.
Aagesen reiterated that the transition towards a renewable energy system is actively successful, highlighting ongoing investments and projects aimed at increasing renewable output in Spain and decreasing energy costs.
The situation began with three successive losses of electrical generation in the provinces of Granada, Badajoz, and Sevilla, resulting in a total loss of 2.2 gigawatts of power within a span of twenty seconds, equivalent to the output of more than two nuclear reactors.
This information was presented by the Third Vice President and Minister for Ecological Transition, Sara Aagesen, during a session at the Congress of Deputies.
Aagesen stated that the first incident occurred in a substation in Granada three seconds before 12:33 PM, followed by another loss in a substation in Badajoz 19 seconds later, and finally in a Sevilla substation 20 seconds thereafter.
The rapid sequence of these failures triggered a disconnect cascade due to overvoltage, ultimately leading to the complete loss of supply.
Attempts by Red Eléctrica de España (REE), the operator responsible for ensuring electrical supply security, to mitigate the situation with six controlled disconnections or demand shedding measures were unsuccessful.
Aagesen reported that none of these procedures managed to halt the collapse of the system.
Experts have indicated that inadequacies in the operational protocols likely contributed to the failure, suggesting that if the barriers had functioned correctly, the blackout could have been limited to specific regions.
The investigation into the causes of the blackout is ongoing.
Although Aagesen confirmed that no indications of a cyberattack targetting REE were found, investigations into potential cyber threats to electrical plants or other system phases are still underway.
Oscillations detected in the Iberian Peninsula’s electrical system, as well as in parts of Europe half an hour before the blackout, are being analyzed for their possible connections to the incident.
Despite rising political scrutiny and allegations from opposition parties attributing the blackout to governmental energy policies, Aagesen defended the resilience of the current energy mix, emphasizing that the generation capacity was sufficient at the time.
Notably, Spain was exporting electricity to France, Portugal, and Morocco just before the blackout occurred.
The session also sparked a debate on the future of nuclear energy in Spain.
While some political factions call for extending the operational lifespans of nuclear plants beyond the previously agreed shutdown schedule, others continue to support the outlined energy transition to renewables.
Aagesen reiterated that the transition towards a renewable energy system is actively successful, highlighting ongoing investments and projects aimed at increasing renewable output in Spain and decreasing energy costs.
Translation:
Translated by AI
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