In the aftermath of the "great blackout," Spain still searching for an explanation

After the big blackout , the big restart, and the big investigation. This Tuesday, all Spaniards woke up relieved to see the light bulbs finally responding to the switches - 99% of the electricity demand was met at 6 a.m., according to the Spanish Electricity Network (REE). The question remained: what could have caused such chaos , an electricity crisis of unprecedented proportions in the peninsula?

On Monday, at 12:33 p.m., the national system suddenly lost 15 gigawatts of power, equivalent to 60 percent of the nation's consumption at that precise moment. Within five seconds, the entire country was disconnected, as was Portugal . Some 35,000 people were stranded on stationary trains; an unknown number were trapped in elevators; three nuclear power plants were shut down; and every corner grocery store was unable to sell its products due to a lack of cash registers or payment terminals.

On Tuesday, the major challenge was restoring rail transport. First, the busiest high-speed lines, Madrid-Barcelona and Madrid-Valencia, were operational from the morning. Among the Cercanias trains, equivalent to the TER and RER , those in Madrid were the first to be restored, and those in Barcelona among the last. The situation in the main stations of Madrid, Atocha and Chamartin, was still chaotic, after thousands of passengers spent the night on the ground.

Also read : Power outage: How was France able to help Spain so quickly?

In industry, explains Pedro Aznar, a professor at the Esade business school, " the impact varies depending on the sector: high-power furnaces, some factories, or refineries can take more than a day to return to normal production. In services, restaurants and retail are clearly the sectors that have suffered the most." The economist estimates that between 0.1% and 0.3% of annual GDP could be lost.

On the streets, some aftereffects were visible. In the Moncloa neighborhood, a fast-food restaurant was not serving fries or hamburgers, while in supermarkets, customers were stocking up on toilet paper, as in the days of Covid, and—this is new—electric batteries. Not all ATMs had been restored. In schools, eight regions, including Madrid, suspended classes. Castilla-La Mancha immediately closed its establishments.

Among the explanations for the "mega-outage," REE has eliminated one. " According to our analysis, we can rule out a cybersecurity incident in the power grid facilities , " said Eduardo Prieto, the company's director of operations. After consulting the National Intelligence Center (CNI), he ruled out "any type of intrusion into the control systems." Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has nevertheless announced an independent analysis and the creation of a government commission of inquiry. The courts have also opened an investigation by the National Court, the court specializing in national criminal cases, including terrorism.

Another possibility, raised in a press release attributed to the Portuguese network manager, but which the latter denied responsibility for a few hours later, attributed the incident to "a rare atmospheric event" which would have manifested itself by sudden variations in temperature. According to the Meteorological Agency (Aemet), "on April 28, no unusual meteorological or atmospheric phenomena were detected."

The technical problem remains, an explanation favored by REE, without providing any comprehensive conclusions. The network cites two "events in the electricity system, consistent with a loss of generation in the southwest region of the Spanish peninsula." Experts point the finger at solar energy, of which Extremadura, indirectly cited, is the leader, and which does not adapt easily to fluctuations in demand.

To nuclear energy advocates, who claim that a more significant contribution from the power plants (which provide about 20% of the electricity) could have stabilized production, Sanchez responded that they are "lying or demonstrating their ignorance." According to the head of the government, " the power plants were a problem because they were shut down (three of them, editor's note) and large amounts of energy had to be diverted to ensure their stability ." The prime minister assured that private operators would be held "responsible" if they were called into question.