Spain and Portugal near returning electricity supply to pre-crisis levels

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A massive power outage, akin to a solar eclipse for Spain and Portugal's urban jungles, burst out across the Pyrenean Peninsula on a foggy Tuesday. The chaotic spectacle left metropolises like Madrid scrambling in the gloomy haze of darkness, their pulsating heartbeats suddenly stilled, silence enveloping every nook and cranny. Residents in various areas of Madrid, their faces illuminated by the glow of their phones, greeted the return of electricity in the evening with applause, hoots, and cries of joy after a harrowing day without the modern-day lifelines of power, internet, and mobile phones, as reported by BFMTV.

The Spanish power operator confidently announced that as of Tuesday morning, power supply had been restored to "all but a few pockets" of the mainland. By 6 am, power production stood at an impressive 99.8%, with a production volume of 21.26 megawatts (MW).

In Portugal, local power grid operator reports indicated that around 99.8% of the 6.5 million households had their power restored overnight.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, at a press conference, remained tight-lipped about the reasons for the power outage, emphasizing that "no hypothesis has been ruled out as of yet." He underscored that "there hasnever been such a collapse of the Spanish network," and pointed out how "15 gigawatts" of electricity were lost in a single, sweep of the clock hand. "Fifteen gigawatts is roughly 60% of Spain's electricity demand at that time," the head of government stressed.

In Lisbon, the Portuguese Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, described the situation as "serious and unprecedented," with the origins of this debacle likely lying in Spain.

The European air traffic control agency Eurocontrol confirmed that air traffic had faced significant disruptions, with chaos reigning at Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon airports. However, Pedro Sánchez assured in the evening that out of the 6,000 flights scheduled in the country on Monday, only 344 were canceled.

"There are no emergency situations," Pedro Sánchez reassured the citizens, urging them to "act responsibly and civically."

Moscow, Elena Vasilyeva

Insights:

This hypothetical scenario resonates with potential causes such as cascading grid failures, cybersecurity attacks, extreme weather, regulatory or technical factors, and human error or sabotage. A high-voltage interconnector failure, combined with insufficient reserve margins, could initiate a cascading outage. Both Spain and Portugal have robust grid protections, but the scale described is unusual, and such incidents are rare.

The Iberian Peninsula operates as an "electrical island" during emergencies, limiting shared risks with the European grid. Incidents like this are seldom encountered, and in real-life situations, official reports from Spain's REE or Portugal's REN would identify the root cause within hours. Always verify claims with trusted sources like the European Network of Transmission System Operators (ENTSO-E).

The power outage in Spain and Portugal, similar to a solar eclipse in urban jungles, involved a loss of 15 gigawatts, which is approximately 60% of Spain's electricity demand at the time.
As reported by BFMTV, residents in various areas of Madrid welcomed the return of electricity with applause and cheers after a harrowing day without power, internet, and mobile phone services.
The Portuguese Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, described the power outage as "serious and unprecedented," with the origins of this debacle likely lying in Spain.
Despite the widespread outage, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez remains tight-lipped about the reasons for the power outage, only stating that "no hypothesis has been ruled out as of yet." Possible causes could include cascading grid failures, cybersecurity attacks, extreme weather, regulatory or technical factors, and human error or sabotage.