The massive power outage that left Spain and Portugal in chaos earlier this year was due to a miscalculation by the Spanish power grid operator REE, the Spanish government has disclosed. This incident, occurring in late April, disrupted airports, trains, internet services, and even traffic lights, leading to significant traffic jams and affecting millions.
What Went Wrong?
Spain's energy minister, Sara Aagesen, explained that REE failed to activate enough thermal power stations during peak hours on April 28. This oversight caused a surge that triggered a chain reaction, leading to the widespread blackout. "The system did not have sufficient dynamic voltage control capacity," Aagesen stated.
The power blackout was caused by a miscalculation, a report found. Pic: Reuters
Investigation Findings
A government report highlighted that some power plants, legally obligated to regulate the grid's voltage, failed to do so. Maintaining a stable 50 Hertz frequency is crucial for Europe's electricity grids, and even minor deviations can cause damage. "Power plants should have controlled voltage and were economically remunerated to do so. They did not absorb all the reactive power expected in high voltage contexts," Aagesen added.
The investigation ruled out a cyberattack, confirming the outage was due to operational failures.
Comments
Join Our Community
Sign up to share your thoughts, engage with others, and become part of our growing community.
No comments yet
Be the first to share your thoughts and start the conversation!