Spain-Portugal blackouts latest: Head of Spain’s power grid refuses to resign as officials hunt for cause
Power has been restored to tens of millions but the cause of the power cut remains unknown
Spanish grid operator Red Electrica’s boss has said she is not considering resigning as the energy firm faces mounting pressure while officials hunt for the cause of the major power outage that hit Spain and Portugal on Monday.
Chairwoman Beatriz Corredor said it was incorrect to link the massive blackout that hit the countries to the high share of renewable energy in the country’s total generation.
“I am not contemplating resignation”, she told radio station Cadena SER.
The firm posted on social media in praise of their response to the blackout that hit Europe at 12.30pm earlier this week, which brought transport to a standstill, wiped out mobile network and Wi-Fi coverage and water access for some.
“In less than 24 hours, they have turned around an unprecedented situation thanks to their dedication and professionalism.We continue working with the same vocation of service.”
This comes as Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez met with grid operators asking for their co-operation in finding the cause, he said: “We must undertake the necessary improvements to guarantee the supply and future competitiveness of our system.”
Spain-Portugal power outage leaves tens of millions in the dark. Could it happen in the US?
Could the UK be vulnerable to a nationwide power outage like Spain and Portugal?- What caused the Spain and Portugal blackouts? Experts say incident is a warning
EasyJet issue three-day Spain and Portugal travelling warning after power blackout- Did Spain’s push for renewable energy have any impact on its mass power blackout?
In pictures: Spanish PM hosts 'extaordinary' national security council meeting
What caused the Spain and Portugal blackouts? Experts say incident is a warning
From cyber attack to blame on renewables, conspiracy theories have exploded in wake of Spain and Portugal’s power outage.
Stuti Mishra and Shweta Sharma report:
What caused the Spain and Portugal blackouts?
EU urges need for a survival kit following blackout
The EU’s top official for crisis prevention has said that the major blackout which hit Spain and Portugal has highlighted the need to have a survival kit at the ready for the first hours or day of an emergency.
European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib said the outage was just the sort of event the EU executive had in mind when it presented its “preparedness strategy” last month, including a recommendation that EU citizens have a 72-hour survival kit.
“What happened in Spain and Portugal and partly in France shows that we need to be prepared. And it's not about alarming our people. It's not about war. It's about all kinds of hazards,” she said.
Lahbib said a key lesson from the blackout was to have some cash. “In times of crisis, of hybrid threats, your cards, bank cards can be just a piece of plastic, unfortunately, so you need to have some cash, but you need also to have a torch, some water, some food and so on.”
In pictures: Travel returns to normal after the blackout caused transport chaos
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Spain-Portugal power outage in numbers
The power outage across Spain and Portugal lasted 11 hours, from around 12:30pm local time til 10:30pm at night
30,000 police were deployed across the country to keep order as Spain’s interior ministry declared a state of emergency.
Emergency services in Madrid saw nearly 5,000 calls from the start of the blackout at 12.33pm on Monday until 7am next day.
In Catalonia, there were around 14,000 calls to 112 between noon on Monday and 8am Tuesday, rising from approximately 7,100 calls received on a usual day.
The Valencian Community recorded nearly 32,000 calls, the highest among regions that shared data, while the Basque Country received 3,500 - twice the usual number - mostly for elevator rescues and power issues.
At least seven people died during the power outage, with authorities continuing to investigate how the blackout may have impacted fatalities.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said that the country suffered a loss of 15GW of electricity generation in five seconds, equivalent to 60 per cent of national demand.
Did Spain’s push for renewable energy have any impact on its mass power blackout?
The mass electrical blackout across Spain, Portugal and parts of France sparked hours of chaos before power returned – with the after-effects still being felt.
Both Spain and Portugal’s power grid operators have ruled out a cyber attack, but the cause of the outage is still under investigation.
The head of Spanish electricity operator Red Electrica, Eduardo Prieto, said two consecutive events, which took place at 12.32pm on Monday and then a second and a half later, pointed to a “generation disconnection” that had cut off the supply across the peninsula. While the system weathered the first event, but not the second.
Some have jumped on the suggestion that Spain’s push to use renewable energy had made an impact.
Last year, renewables accounted for 53 per cent of the country’s power generation. Solar photovoltaic (PV) accounted for 59 per cent of Spain's electricity at the time of the blackout, wind nearly 12 per cent, nuclear almost 11 per cent and combined cycle gas plants 5 per cent, Red Electrica data showed.
Climate Correspondent Nick Ferris reports:
Did Spain’s push for renewable energy have any impact on its mass power blackout?
In pictures: Wind turbines used to generate electricity in Burgos, northern Spain
Britain struck by unusual power activity hours before blackouts in Spain and Portugal
The UK was struck by unusual power activity hours before large swathes of Spain and Portugal were hit by blackouts, it has emerged.
Britain’s grid operator has confirmed it is investigating unexplained changes in electricity frequency seen early on Sunday morning and also in the evening. The system’s frequency must be kept within specific limits for the lights to remain on.
Tara Cobham reports:
Britain struck by unusual power activity hours before blackouts in Spain and Portugal
Portugal calls for EU to conduct independent audit of power outage.
Portuguese acting Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said on Tuesday his government had requested that the European Union's Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators perform an independent audit of the power outage that hit the Iberian Peninsula the day before.
“We want a full investigation of the outage's causes. We need quick, urgent answers,” Mr Montenegro told a news briefing.
Spanish opposition points finger to state-funded Red Electrica Espanol
A parliamentary spokesperson for the opposition conservative People’s Party has accused prime minister Pedro Sanchez of covering up for failings at Red Electrica Espanol as it remains unanswered why there was a major power outage across Spain and Portugal.
Miguel Tellado, the spokesperson, said in an interview on RTVE: “Since REE has ruled out the possibility of a cyberattack, we can only point to the malfunctioning of REE, which has state investment and therefore its leaders are appointed by the government.”
He called for an independent investigation to be conducted by Spain’s parliament rather than the government probe Sanchez has announced.
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