A widespread power outage struck Spain and Portugal on April 28, leaving millions without electricity across the Iberian Peninsula. Parts of France also experienced brief disruptions.
The sudden blackout impacted transport systems, including airports in Madrid and Lisbon, and metro networks in Barcelona and Valencia. Traffic lights ceased functioning, and telecommunications were affected in some areas.
Spanish grid operator Red Electrica stated the outage was triggered by rapid network "oscillations." Portugal's grid operator, Ren, suggested a fault in the Spanish grid, possibly linked to extreme temperature changes or a fire near Perpignan and Narbonne in France that damaged a high-voltage line.
The incident raised concerns about the interconnectedness of the European electric grid. While a cyberattack was considered as a possibility, Portugal's National Cybersecurity Centre (CNCS) reported finding no evidence to support that cause. Taco Engelaar, managing director at Neara, noted that a widespread failure could result from a physical fault, a coordinated cyber attack, or an imbalance between supply and demand.
Hospitals, including one in Setúbal, relied on backup generators to maintain services for urgent cases, although some medical procedures were canceled. Businesses faced the risk of losing perishable goods due to refrigeration failures.
Spain's government convened an emergency session, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the control center of Red Electrica. The European Commission is coordinating with national authorities and the European network of transmission system operators, ENTSO-E.
Red Electrica began gradually restoring power in Spain, estimating that full restoration across the country could take several hours. Portugal's Ren indicated the network might require up to a week to fully stabilize.
The widespread disruption caught many off guard. Juan Muñoz, a butcher in Madrid, described being "very surprised" and worried about his store's stock.
