Biznes Fakty
Blackout on the Iberian Peninsula. Polish operator speaks out
According to a statement from Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne on Monday, the power failure on the Iberian Peninsula did not interfere with the functioning of the national power system. A representative of PSE confirmed that the Polish operator is prepared for such situations.
The EFE news agency, referencing the nation’s energy provider, reported that a significant power outage affected mainland Spain and parts of Portugal on Monday. The incident occurred around 12:30 p.m.
„The incident on the Iberian Peninsula did not lead to any disruptions in the national power system,” stated Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne, which operates the Polish transmission system, in a social media message. „The system is functioning stably,” it added.
„There is no reason to worry”
Maciej Wapiński, spokesperson for the Polish Power Grid (PSE), informed PAP that the Polish electricity system is operating without issues.
– This outage in Spain did not impact our electricity system’s operations. There is no cause for concern. Regarding trade with other nations, exports are continuing as planned. Currently, I do not have information suggesting that energy is being exported as part of emergency assistance – he remarked. He believes that if the Spanish operator needs assistance, it will primarily reach out to neighboring countries.
Wapiński noted that the information received by PSE indicates that the Spanish operator is working to restore power as quickly as possible. – Every operator is equipped to handle such situations when a system-wide failure occurs and has a recovery plan, referred to as Black Start – he explained.
PSE prepared for potential challenges
Wapiński emphasized that every power system operator must be ready „for the worst” and for what follows „the worst”.
– This means that even following a failure where we completely lose control over the system and there is no power at all, (…) the goal is to restore normal system operations as soon as possible. There are agreements in place with generation units, and these are also coordinated with other operators from neighboring countries. At PSE, we also periodically conduct exercises to ensure readiness for such scenarios – the spokesperson stated.
He acknowledged that it is premature to discuss the reasons behind the failure on the Iberian Peninsula. – Analyses and investigations will undoubtedly be carried out to determine the causes. After each such incident, a report is compiled by the European association of operators ENTSO-E, which explains and details the causes of the event to prepare for future occurrences and implement measures that will better shield us from such incidents – Wapiński remarked.
He recalled that in Poland, no similar event has occurred as the current one in the Iberian Peninsula. – The last comparable incident was a failure in Szczecin in 2008, which only affected the Szczecin area. Last year, a similar situation occurred in the Balkans, particularly in Albania, which experienced a power outage due to a failure in a power line – Wapiński noted.
Iberian Peninsula without electricity
Mainland Spain and parts of Portugal experienced a significant power outage on Monday, as reported by the EFE news agency, citing the nation’s energy supplier. The outage occurred around 12:30 p.m.
In Madrid and Lisbon, traffic signals and metro systems were non-operational, and train services were also halted in both countries. Airports faced disruptions as well. In Portugal, the power outage affected several hospitals.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez convened a meeting of the National Security Council on Monday regarding the power grid failure that has also impacted Portugal and France, according to the EFE news agency. Portuguese authorities have stated there is no evidence suggesting that the outage was due to a cyberattack.
In Spain, the power grid operator commenced efforts to restore electricity in the southern and northern regions of the country after 2 p.m. Power outages also affected regions of France.
