The massive blackout that plunged Spain and Portugal into darkness on Monday has reignited concerns over the stability of Europe’s peripheral power grids, particularly as the continent accelerates its shift towards renewable energy.
Yesterday, a sudden loss of 15 gigawatts—approximately 60% of Spain’s electricity demand— occurred within seconds, disconnecting the Iberian Peninsula from the broader European grid.
The outage disrupted transportation, communications, and essential services across Spain, Portugal and parts of France.
While the exact cause remains under investigation, Portugal’s grid operator, REN, initially attributed the event to “anomalous oscillations” in high-voltage lines, possibly induced by extreme temperature variations.
However, this explanation was later retracted, leaving the root cause uncertain.
Energy experts point to the inherent vulnerabilities of “island” or peninsular grids.
Jean-Paul Harreman, Director at Montel Analytics, noted that countries like Spain and Portugal, with limited alternating current (AC) interconnections to neighbouring nations, are more susceptible to frequency deviations.
He explained:
In island systems like GB and Ireland, or peninsular systems like Italy and Spain, the AC synchronous interconnectivity with other countries is much lower, leading to a more vulnerable grid as flexibility and resilience has to mostly come from the inside.”
The incident also highlighted challenges associated with the increasing reliance on renewable energy sources.
Spain currently derives over half of its electricity from renewables, primarily wind and solar. While environmentally beneficial, these sources are non-synchronous and lack the inertia provided by conventional power stations like gas, coal, or nuclear plants.
This inertia is crucial for maintaining grid stability during disturbances.
Phil Hewitt, also from Montel Analytics, emphasised the need for investment in technologies that can provide grid stability amid the renewable transition.
“Grid operators need to invest in inertia technologies like synchronous condensers to support the drive for more renewables. Investment in fast-acting balancing reserves such as batteries also provides extra resilience as we have seen in markets like GB and Ireland,” he stated.
As of Tuesday morning, power had been restored to 99% of affected areas in Spain and Portugal.
However, the blackout serves as a stark reminder of the complexities involved in modernising energy systems and the importance of ensuring grid resilience in the face of evolving energy landscapes.
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