Iberian Blackout: Spain's Power Struggle and Recovery

Spain’s power grid struggled to restore electricity following a massive outage affecting the Iberian Peninsula. The blackout disrupted public transport and grounded flights, with the cause remaining unidentified. Power was largely restored by Tuesday, but the incident raised concerns over the reliability of renewable energy sources.

A nationwide blackout hit Spain and Portugal on Monday, as the power systems of the Iberian Peninsula ground to a halt. The massive outage disrupted public transport, grounded planes, and caused hospitals to restrict routine proceedings.

Spain's electricity grid operator, Red Electrica, reported progress in stabilizing the power supply on Tuesday, though most trains remained at a standstill. The shutdown affected electricity substations across Spain, complicating efforts to normalize the situation.

The cause of the outage remains unexplained, with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez commenting on the sudden loss of 15GW of power, equivalent to 60% of national demand. This disconnection was linked to the separation of the Spanish and French grids, raising questions about the reliability of renewable energy sources used by the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)