Brussels, 2 May 2025
In the wake of the 28 April blackout in Spain and Portugal, the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) and Eurelectric have released their assessments and proposals to help prevent future outages.
On 28 April 2025 soon after 12h30 CET, a major incident occurred in the power systems of Spain and Portugal. The incident resulted in a black-out in the power system of both countries. Some areas close to the border of France with Spain were also affected by the incident, albeit for a very limited duration.
The utmost priority was the restoration of the power system. The established procedures and protocols for restoring the voltage of the electricity system were activated immediately. Some regions of the Iberian Peninsula were rapidly energized thanks, among others, to the support of the power system resources such as hydro-power plants and the existing interconnections with France and Morocco.
Iberian Black-out: ENTSO-E congratulates Red Electrica and REN for the rapid recovery of the electricity systems of Portugal and Spain, and establishes an Expert Panel to investigate the incident
Brussels, 1 May 2025
From a situation of total zero in the electricity system of the Iberian Peninsula, the rapid and full restoration of supply in Portugal and Spain has demonstrated the high preparedness and efficiency of the concerned Transmission System Operators (TSO), Red Eléctrica and REN, with the support and collaboration of the French TSO RTE, as well as the Moroccan utility ONEE.
This has been made possible by the joint work and cooperation of TSOs developed over the years, both between the control centers and within ENTSO-E.
In addition, the real-time monitoring and coordination of the status of the European electricity systems has been achieved by the European Awareness System platform, a tool developed by all TSOs within ENTSO-E.
Next Steps: an ENTSO-E Expert Panel
In accordance with European legislation for such an exceptional and grave incident, ENTSO-E is establishing an Expert Panel to investigate the causes of this event, in accordance with the “Incident Classification Scale Methodology”1. The Expert Panel is chaired by recognised experts from TSOs who were not directly affected or involved in the black-out, and includes the involved TSOs as well as other European experts. The Expert Panel will investigate the root causes, produce a comprehensive analysis and make recommendations in a final report which will be published. National Regulatory Authorities and the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) are invited to participate in this panel.
Prior to the publication of the final report, ENTSO-E will publish a comprehensive report with full technical details on the incident. Furthermore, ENTSO-E will provide regular updates to the EU Commission and EU Member States, including progress reports of the investigation to the Electricity Coordination Group.
[1] The “Incident Classification Scale Methodology”, established by ENTSO-E in accordance with EU Regulations 714/2009 and 2017/1485, is the framework for reporting and classifying incidents on the power system and for organising the investigation of severe incidents.
Source – ENTSO-E
Eurelectric: What you need to know about the Iberian Peninsula’s blackout
29 April 2025
On the morning of 28 April, a major blackout swept across the Iberian Peninsula, cutting power to millions. While the exact cause is still under investigation, this extraordinary event serves as a powerful reminder of the critical importance of Europe’s electricity grid – a system we often take for granted.
What happened?
On Monday 28 April, between 12:38 and 13:30 CET, Spain’s transmission system was disconnected from the European grid at the 400 kV level due to an issue with a power line connecting French and Spanish Catalonia. The fault triggered a domino disrupting electricity supply not only in Spain but also in Portugal, Andorra, and parts of France.
Spain’s transmission system operator, Red Eléctrica restored 99% of the electricity supply by early Tuesday morning, but investigations into the root cause of the blackout are still ongoing.
What’s known so far
“What we do know is that we had a very serious incident – one that has had major impacts in several European countries at the same time. Something that is very very rare” Eurelectric’s Secretary General Kristian Ruby told BBC.
While the cause of the blackout is yet to be defined, in there were reports of anomalous oscillations in the high voltage lines before the power shut down. These oscillations caused synchronisation failures between the electrical systems and eventually ended it disturbances across the interconnected European network.
The impact
The blackout disrupted key infrastructure across both Spain and Portugal, affecting public transportation, traffic signals, hospitals, manufacturing plants, digital payment systems, as well as nuclear power facilities.
Banking systems were interrupted, auto traffic control systems went dark, metros were stopped, and intercity trains were halted. Hospitals were particularly affected, with many having to activate on-site generators and reduce services while power was restored.
Why it matters
Yesterday’s extraordinary event is a stark reminder that the grid is the backbone of our society. With electricity playing an increasingly important role in our society, we need to create all the conditions for enable a secure electricity supply.
“As society relies more and more on electricity, it’s crucial that electricity is reliable”.
Making the grid future-proof
Investing in a resilient grid is no longer optional. The success of Europe’s energy transitions depends on an extended, fully digitalised grid that can manage the amount of renewables capacity that is set to come. Making the grid fit for the purpose requires an annual investment of €67 billion from now until 2050.
However, existing technologies can already help reduce these costs. By optimising grid use, annual investment needs could drop to €55 billion – without compromising resilience or performance.
Conclusion
The blackout was a wake-up call. It showed that the need to modernise and reinforce Europe’s electricity grid is urgent and unavoidable. Now is the time to invest in the infrastructure that powers everything.
Source – Eurelectric