Spain and Portugal on Monday were affected by a complete interruption of power supply, leaving trains stuck in tunnels, office workers stuck in elevators and cutting mobile telecommunications in Europe for two decades.
The catastrophic insufficiency of electrical supply has raised urgent questions regarding the resistance of network infrastructure across Europe, while governments compete to deploy renewable energy sources and reduce carbon emissions from their electrical systems.
Spain’s electric network collapsed shortly after 12.30 local time, taking Portugal with you. But officials and engineers are still trying to understand why and what consequences the collapse can have for energy infrastructure.
What caused the eclipses?
Electricity power relies on a finely balanced system. Demand and supply should be combined on a second basis by a second and the frequency of the network, which alternates the electric current-must remain stable to avoid damage to the electrical equipment and, in the worst case, interruptions.
At 12.33 local time on Monday, the frequency of Spain’s electrical network suddenly dropped from the level of 50 Hertz, at which the network operator tries to maintain it, up to 49 Hertz, according to Aurora Energy Research, consultant.
Movement more than 0.1 Hertz forces many power plants to exclude automatically for safety reasons. Any loss of power in Spain has an immediate knockout effect in Portugal, which relies largely on its neighbor to supply electricity.
What caused the frequency to fall in the first place is not yet clear. On Tuesday, Eduardo, Accepted, Director of Operational Services at the Spanish Red Eléctrica Network operator, accused an unexpected loss of a generation in southwestern Spain, home to many solar power plants. Other theories include damage to electrical cables.
Frequency fluctuations are not uncommon, but network operators usually overcome them, asking for power generators to increase or decrease their output or by using batteries. In this case, however, there is not enough additional capacity to generate to be delivered online quickly enough. Red Eléctrica turned off a cyber attack.
Were renewable energy sources part of the problem?
Without knowing the exact cause of the frequency decline, it is impossible to say. However, the electrical system, renewable sources such as wind and solar energy, is more complex to operate than one, dominated by traditional coal and gas power plants.
Renewable energy sources are dependent on the weather, but the solar panels are lacking large turbines that can help maintain the system if there is a further accuracy, known as “inertia”.
About a fifth of the annual electricity supply in Spain comes on average from solar energy, but at noon on Monday the share was far higher – by over 55 percent. Aurora says the lack of inertia “has contributed to instability.” However, nuclear power plants and other sources that were online at the time should provide sufficient inertia, said Adam Bell of British consulting Stoneheven.
However, eclipses can also often occur in electrical systems dominated by traditional power plants such as gas, coal or nuclear due to mechanical and technical faults.
Are electrical networks more resistant in other countries?
The stability of the network is increasingly more concerned around the world, as the countries rely more on electricity to support the growing population and the power supply of electric cars, the heat pumps in homes, data centers and air conditioning.
Paris-based International Energy Agency, which advises energy policy governments, warned cyber attacks and climate change last week, can pose a growing threat. While renewable energy sources reduce dependence on variable fossil fuel markets, the transformation of energy systems “carries new challenges”, IEA said.
The UK has deployed 200-ton “flywheels” that mimic the turbines in traditional power plants to avoid problems with network instability. GRume operators also use technology to try to measure inertia so that they can intervene when needed.
The greater use of batteries, as well as cables that bring power exports to other countries, can also help balance periodic deliveries. Spain’s relatively bad relationship with France has long been a source of complaint in Madrid.
“Sometimes in the development of policies, we focus on adding more wind and solar energy, which is great. But you also need to add the backup,” says Javier Kavada, CEO of Europe, the Middle East and Africa at Mitsubishi Power. However, there is always a balance between the high cost of installing new cables and risk.
Is there any consequences for the energy transition?
The eclipses in Spain come at a critical moment for efforts to move away from the excavated fuels, with some countries hesitant about emissions reduction, and some technologies are struggling to scales.
Although the reason for the interruptions is yet to be determined, opponents of renewable energy sources are likely to benefit from Spain as a warning tale.
Cristian Bușoi, the Minister of Energy of Romania, said the EU must review its plan to terminate the use of gas by 2050, but Dan Jogensen, Commissioner for Energy, seeks to repel such claims. “One thing is clear: energy security must remain our priority. Connection, solidarity and clean energy at home are key to maintaining our energy system more resistant,” he said on Tuesday.
It is more positive that reduction of electricity can help to encourage such necessary investments in power supply networks to include more renewable energy sources and greater focus on sustainability. “The grille is considered something for fools and engineers, but this is not the case,” says Javier Pamos Serano of Aurora. “We need to have safe and reliable grilles that move forward.”
What happens after that?
In addition to studying at the national level, an employee of the European Commission said there would probably be an independent investigation into the cause of electricity reduction in Spain and Portugal, led by experts from an unaffected Member State. His recommendations will be implemented by Brussels, added the official employee.
