It is an important breakdown of electricity that caused a galley day in Spain and Portugal this Monday, April 28. What leads to many chaotic situations, particularly in transport, leading in particular the Spanish Interior Minister to decree the state of emergency in the regions that request it.
A few hours later, the situation has not yet returned to normal, electricity is restored only 50% in Spain this Monday night.
• The galley in Spain and Portugal, a brief breakdown in France
They are around 12:30 pm in Spain, when an energy cut, of “exceptional” magnitude according to the Spanish Electricity Manager, affects the entire country, but also Portugal.
This immense blackout complicated the daily life of millions of Spaniards and Portuguese. In Madrid, thousands of people returned home on foot, while many vehicles were taken in a monster bottling. At night, the red lights and facades of the stores were gradually turning.
Air transport was partially reduced, generators that allowed guaranteeing a minimum service for control towers. Spanish nuclear power plants have a normal safety procedure in case of an electricity cut.
Beyond transportation, energy failure has also affected the most harmless daily moments. In the Madrid region alone, 286 operations were carried out to help trapped people within the elevators, according to regional authorities.
The hospitals had to interrupt some of their activities. Example, in the regions of Madrid and Catalonia, health establishments suspended their current operations, but could serve patients in critical condition thanks to rescue generators.
In Lisbon, Metro stations have closed their doors, as well as supermarkets and most stores and coffee shops. In the Portuguese capital, many people have referred to buses to return to their homes, but traffic was chaotic, due to the failure of the red light system. Several residents have also rushed stores to buy batteries and candles.
The breakdown temporarily affected France, only “a few minutes in the Basque Country”, but the situation is “restored in general,” according to the RTE manager.
• The origin of the fault still unknown
How to explain an electricity failure of such magnitude? Its origin is “probably in Spain”, according to Portuguese Prime Minister, Luis Montenegro, who evokes a “serious and unprecedented” situation.
For his part, the Spanish prime minister said that “he still has no conclusive information about the causes,” praying to the inhabitants of “investing for the official channels.” “It does not deviate hypotheses,” according to Pedro Sánchez.
A hypothesis arose from the administrator of the Portuguese Network Ren, for whom the decomposition could be linked to “extreme temperature variations” that could have destabilized the network in Spain.
The president of the European Council, Antonio Costa, said in X that “there are no indications of a cyber attack at this stage.”
• The situation gradually returns to normal
Several hours after the start of the failure, electricity gradually returns to Spain, up to 50% according to the Spanish Prime Minister.
For this, it counts in particular in energy plants and hydroelectric energy.
According to the Minister of Transportation of Transportation, Oscar Puente, in X, 11 trains are still blocked with passengers on board. In Madrid, Luz has returned to certain districts, even if the Metro mouths remain closed and saturated buses.
In Portugal, the prime minister said at a press conference that the current will be restored throughout the country “in the next few hours.” An objective confirmed by the network administrator for whom the current could be restored “tonight.” The test, the current begins to return Monday night to the capital, Lisbon, and 750,000 consumers saw that their current was restored.
• France sends electricity to Spain and Portugal
The French RTE Electricity Network manager indicates that France sends “up to 2,000 megawatts” of electricity to Spain and Portugal this Monday night “through The electricity lines that feed Catalonia and the Spanish Basque Country of France. “2,000 megawatts that correspond to the power of two nuclear reactors on average.
Source: BFM TV
