Spain is actively working to restore power nationwide “soon” following a significant blackout that disrupted daily life for millions. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasized that there has been no “conclusive information” regarding the causes of the outage.
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In a display of leadership, the Socialist leader urged citizens to demonstrate “responsibility and civility” to assist authorities in managing this crisis, which also impacted Portugal and France. “We’ll get through this together,” he reassured the public during a televised address after an emergency government meeting.
Thanks to interconnections with France and Morocco, parts of northern and southern Spain have seen a partial restoration of electricity. “Combined cycles and hydroelectric plants throughout the country have also been reactivated, which should allow us to recover the supply across Spain soon,” Mr. Sanchez stated, instilling hope for a quick resolution.
The outage, which struck around midday, brought transportation to a standstill. The transport minister announced that inter-city trains are unlikely to resume service before tomorrow at the earliest. Meanwhile, although port and air traffic remained largely unaffected, flights were reduced by 20% “to ensure safety and smooth operation.”
Hospitals managed to continue operating thanks to generators with “long autonomy,” Mr. Sanchez added, reflecting a priority on public health and safety. He urged the population to minimize travel and phone calls while following updates from official sources. “Let’s act responsibly,” he stated. “We must not disseminate or heed information from dubious sources, as has happened in previous crises.” He cautioned against heightening the “anxiety” many are experiencing during this challenging time.
Meanwhile, Portuguese grid operator REN warned that fully restoring the country’s power grid could take up to a week. Their assessment pointed to a rare atmospheric phenomenon in Spain, linked to extreme temperature variations, as the culprit for the widespread outages across the Iberian Peninsula.
REN explained that these extreme temperature shifts caused anomalous oscillations in the high-voltage lines, leading to synchronization failures between electrical systems. This phenomenon, known as “induced atmospheric vibration,” triggered a cascade of disturbances across the European network.
Despite the challenges, Spain’s nuclear power plants went into a safe state automatically when the blackout occurred. Officials reassured the public that this action was “in line with their design” for unexpected power outages, as stated by the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN).
When the outage occurred, four reactors at three nuclear plants were in operation and immediately shut down. Reactors at two other facilities were already offline, with generators maintaining essential functions safely, according to the CSN.
In Dublin, a small number of flights were canceled due to the disruptions in Spain and Portugal, with delays reported for various others. The operator, daa, advised passengers to verify arrangements with their airlines prior to traveling.
As repeated efforts to restore the grid continue, the Spanish electricity transmission operator Red Eléctrica indicated that the blackout could last between six to ten hours. Authorities grappled with the chaos, as traffic lights malfunctioned, leading to gridlock on the roads. Reports emerged of hospitals losing power, while others faced interruptions, with individuals trapped in metros and elevators.
In Madrid, the atmosphere was tense, with hundreds gathered outside office buildings and a noticeable police presence directing traffic amidst the turmoil. Both the Spanish and Portuguese governments convened to address the situation, with a crisis committee established in Spain. The Madrid Open tennis tournament interrupted play, leaving players like 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov and British opponent Jacob Fearnley off the court as scoreboards went dark.
The European Commission maintained contact with authorities in Spain and Portugal, as well as the European network of transmission system operators (ENTS0-E), to investigate the outage’s underlying cause. Such large-scale power outages are rare in Europe, prompting comparison to the 2003 incident in Italy caused by problems with a hydroelectric power line.
As confusion reigned in Madrid, sirens and helicopter blades filled the air while the iconic Torre Emperador skyscraper was evacuated. Many worried parents scrambled to reach their children’s schools as mobile signals flickered in and out. In a video posted on X, Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida encouraged residents to minimize travel and stay put whenever possible.
Flight delays were reported across various airports, with AENA, which oversees 46 airports in Spain, confirming interruptions due to the blackout. In response, Portugal’s airport operator ANA activated emergency generators, maintaining essential operations at Porto and Faro airports, while acknowledging ongoing limitations in Lisbon, with no current impact on Madeira and Azores airports.
In challenging times like these, communities band together, and communication remains vital. As we navigate this crisis, let’s keep focus on the shared goal: a swift return to normalcy.
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring
