Large power failure in Spain and Portugal: What happened?

Large power failure in Spain and Portugal: What happened?

On April 28, 2025, there was a large -scale power failure in Spain, Portugal and parts of France in the early afternoon. Large cities such as Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona were particularly affected, where public transport, airports and internet connections were severely restricted. The exact cause of this failure, which started at 12:33 p.m. with a frequency slump in the European power grid from 50 Hertz to 49.84 Hertz, is currently still unclear. The Portuguese network operator Ren speaks of a rare atmospheric phenomenon, while the cyber security authorities of Spain are examining possible cyber attacks, but have so far not discovered any confirmed information.

The situation tightened to the Central European electricity network due to the limited connection of Spain and Portugal, which did not adequately support France in the sudden performance deficit. Around 99.16 percent of the power supply had been restored by Tuesday morning, and in many regions the power supply was stabilized within around 24 hours. There is no evidence that renewable energies have favored the failure because the time of the frequency slump was outside the typical power of the solar power production.

effects and countermeasures

In response to this incident, Austrian authorities have pointed out that a similar power failure in Austria is considered unlikely. This is due to the stability and the good connection of the home power grid. Nevertheless, the population is pointed out to possible risks such as extreme weather, technical disorders or cyber attacks. Responsible places will provide recommendations for provision to encourage the population to create supplies for seven to 14 days in the event of a blackout. These should include water, durable foods as well as light sources and means of communication.

• supplies (water: 2.5 liters per person and day, durable food)
• light sources (flashlights, candles) and means of communication (hand crank radios)
• medicine pharmacy and cash reserves
• energy sources (gas cooker, power banks) and hygiene articles
• Copies of important documents store

The precautionary recommendations do not detract from their importance, especially in view of the increasing importance of energy supply, which is crucial for prosperity in Germany and beyond. For this purpose, the federal government states that energy supply in Germany is considered to be very safe and large -scale power outages are very rare. A blackout arises when the power grid gets out of balance, often due to extreme weather conditions or technical defects. Despite the stability of the German energy supply, the population is also informed about the need for private provision for power outages.

The current Corona situation has reinforced the dependence on electricity in the relevant sectors such as buildings and traffic. The federal government has carried out measures to further improve the safety of the energy supply. This includes the gas memory law, which ensures that gas reserves are filled in time to prevent winter bottlenecks. Germany has also made itself independent of Russian gas deliveries and now receives gas from Norway, the Netherlands and via LNG terminals.

Reporting on the event in southern Europe illustrates the slumbering risks that also exist for other countries. Those responsible in Austria and Germany emphasize the importance of preventive measures and a stable network of energy in the entire European Union in order to avoid such failures in the future. Ultimately, responsibility lies not only with the authorities, but also among the citizens who rely on a safe energy supply in a modern company.

Further information can be found in the articles of Vol and bundes- government.de .