Cause of Spain and Portugal blackouts which left millions in the dark revealed
Six weeks after Spain and Portugal suffered a massive power outage, authorities in Madrid said the blackout was caused by technical and planning errors.
Spanish ecological transition minister Sara Aagesen, who manages the nation's energy policy, said at a press conference that small grid failures, concentrated in the south of Spain, led to a chain reaction before the blackout.
Larger grid failures followed the small ones, she said, but the government has completely ruled out a cyber attack as the reason behind the outage.
The minister said several technical causes contributed to the event, including 'poor planning' by operators of the grid who did not find a replacement for one power plant that was supposed to help balance power fluctuations.
The April 28 outage started shortly after 12.30 pm in Spain and lasted through nightfall, disrupting businesses, transport systems, mobile networks, internet connectivity and other critical infrastructures.
In just five seconds, Spain lost 15 gigawatts of electricity – or about 60% of its supply. Portugal, whose grid is connected to Spain's, also went down.
Power was fully restored by the early hours of the following day, but questions quickly arose about what caused the shocking outage.
Analysts from Spain's national security agencies found there were no indications of cyber-sabotage by foreign actors.
The only solid information made public after the system went down came from Spain's grid operator, Red Electrica, which found the source of the outage to two incidents in southern Spain where substations had failed.
In the weeks following the blackout, citizens and experts were left wondering what triggered the event in a region not known for power outages and igniting a fierce debate about whether Spain's high levels of renewable power had something to do with the grid failing.
Spain is at the forefront of Europe's transition to renewable energy, having generated nearly 57% of its electricity in 2024 from renewable energy sources such as wind, hydropower and solar. More Trending
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pushed back against such speculation and defended renewable energy, promising his government would not 'deviate a single millimetre from its energy transition plans.
Spain is one of the world's leaders in renewable energy, with many wind and solar plants.
Some online previously claimed that Spain's switch from coal to other renewable sources could have made the systems more vulnerable to an outage.
But today's announcement put those rumours to rest for good.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
MORE: More than 600 EasyJet cabin crew to walk out causing chaos for thousands of holidaymakers
MORE: Major UK high street bank could be put up for sale
MORE: Spain's tough new rules for tourists unveiled — from drink bans to tour groups
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Metro
an hour ago
- Metro
B-2 stealth warplanes take off from US amid Israeli attacks on Iran
All eyes are on B-2 stealth bombers that have been deployed from the US as back-and-forth attacks between Israel and Iran enter a second week. The warplanes are all capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear weapons, including the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), also known as the bunker-buster – the only bomb able of penetrating the Iranian underground nuclear sites. They would be Israel's best chance at destroying the secretive fortification at Fordo – believed to be even deeper underground than the Channel Tunnel connecting the UK and France. Flight tracking data shows two groups of four tankers each linking up with the bombers over Kansas. The B-2 aircraft were using the callsign 'MYTEE21, previously associated with stealth bomber missions. It is currently unclear whether the bombers are heading to Diego Garcia or a US military base in Guam. More Trending The US would need permission from the UK to launch strikes from Diego Garcia, over which it maintains sovereignty. This would not be necessary if they deployed from the military base in Guam. This comes as the Israeli army said it began striking military infrastructure in southwest Iran. A large column of smoke had also risen above the port city of Mahshahr, Fars news agency said, while 'frightening explosions' were heard in the provincial capital of Ahvaz. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Suspected terrorist arrested for 'plotting attack on British military base' MORE: UK to charter flights to get Britons out of Israel after Iran strikes MORE: Donald Trump's hand mark and 'cover up' raises concerns again
The Herald Scotland
11 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Dodgers commit $1M toward families of immigrants 'impacted' by events
Meanwhile, the Dodgers have been heavily criticized for both action and inaction from their heavily Latino fan base. Manager Dave Roberts stated he didn't have enough information to opine on the situation, and the club came under more scrutiny after R&B singer Nezza sang the national anthem in Spanish at Dodger Stadium, and posted videos and correspondence showing it was against the Dodgers' wishes. Veteran utilityman Kike Hernandez posted a message of support on Instagram, and in the days following the club indicated it would soon show support for the area's immigrant population. In partnership with the City of Los Angeles, the Dodgers have committed $1 million toward direct financial assistance for families of immigrants impacted by recent events in the region. Additional community efforts to be announced in the coming days. — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) June 20, 2025 Then came Thursday's caravan of DHS vans and vehicles to the Dodger Stadium gate, where they apparently hoped to use the grounds for staging. Protestors arrived and DHS officials were eventually escorted out a separate exit by the Los Angeles Police Department. But many remained and turned their grievances toward the Dodgers for staying largely neutral at a time the community was reeling. The Dodgers' statement nodded non-specifically toward events in the area while not referencing ICE, DHS or other outside forces. "What's happening in Los Angeles has reverberated among thousands upon thousands of people, and we have heard the calls for us to take a leading role on behalf of those affected," said Dodgers president Stan Kasten, whose club generated an estimated $752 million in revenue last season and is valued at nearly $7 billion. "We believe that by committing resources and taking action, we will continue to support and uplift the communities of Greater Los Angeles." Mayor Karen Bass indicated the external infringement on the community has had an impact. "These last weeks have sent shockwaves of fear rippling through every neighborhood and have had a direct impact on our economy," Bass said.
Glasgow Times
21 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
AI-powered Chemifarm opens in Glasgow to creating jobs
Chemify's first Chemifarm, based in Maryhill, has been described as "the world's most advanced laboratory for molecular design and synthesis." It integrates artificial intelligence with industrial-scale robotic synthesis to accelerate the development of small-molecule medicines and next-generation materials. Chemify, the deep-tech pioneer fusing chemistry, robotics, computation and AI to digitise molecule creation (Image: Chris James for Chemify) The 21,500 sq ft site combines Chemify's AI-driven molecular design engine with robotic synthesis to speed up the journey from concept to compound. The new facility will create 60 jobs and safeguard more than 50 existing roles in Glasgow. Read more: Company staff pose with Nick Knowles during BBC show as they help family Spanish bar where Ross Monaghan and Eddie Lyons shot reopens under new name Do you really have to pay to sit with your children on a flight? Lee Cronin, chief executive officer and founder of Chemify, said: "The first Chemifarm is a watershed moment for molecular innovation. "By combining automation, AI and scalable synthesis, we can now move from code to compound faster than ever, fueling breakthroughs in drug discovery, materials science and beyond." (Image: Chris James for Chemify) A 2022 spin-out from the University of Glasgow, Chemify is built on Professor Cronin's research in digital chemistry. Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, said: "Chemifarm's launch exemplifies the transformative impact that emerges when academic excellence translates into industrial innovation. "This is a hugely significant milestone - as a University, we are committed to working with our partners and funders to enable our cutting edge research to translate into successful spin-outs that scale-up and deliver impact on the regional economy creating jobs and strengthening our regional economic clusters." (Image: Chris James for Chemify) The facility includes production suites, research and development labs and secure cloud infrastructure designed to store petabytes of chemical data for AI-powered analysis. The £12 million project is backed by the Glasgow City Region Innovation Accelerator Programme, a UK Government-led scheme delivered by Innovate UK. Scottish Enterprise also contributed £1.1 million in grant funding. Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council and chair of the Glasgow City Region Cabinet, said: "Chemify is a stand-out success story within our emerging innovation economy, one that's both enhancing Glasgow's reputation as an international centre of science and ingenuity while transforming the world of chemical production. "The Chemifarm takes the company's presence in Glasgow to a new level, where it can continue to build on the City Region's support to create quality new jobs and leverage in further private investment as its success grows."
