Spain’s power grid collapse investigation: Key data unveiled

Friday 02 May 2025 - 11:04

By: Zahouani Ilham

Spain’s power grid collapse investigation: Key data unveiled

Spain's Red Eléctrica (REE) has provided the Commission investigating the country's electrical crisis with all requested data, including records from the "black box." This advanced memory device logs millions of pieces of information about the national grid's performance during the massive power outage on April 28. This marks a critical step forward as technical discussions continue between REE's parent company Redeia and high-level officials from relevant ministries.

On April 29, the Spanish Photovoltaic Union (UNEF), which represents over 800 solar entities, firmly denied any responsibility from solar installations for the grid failure. UNEF emphasized that solar plants followed all schedules and were "disconnected involuntarily." They also highlighted the reliable performance of solar systems in island mode, operating independently from the grid and demonstrating the sector's technological maturity.

UNEF is urging the authorities to expedite the adoption of the 7.4 operation procedure, which would enable renewable installations to directly influence grid parameters such as voltage and reactive power. The union also advocates for expanded energy storage systems and hybrid projects that combine solar power with other technologies to ensure service continuity during extreme situations.

According to REE’s timeline, power restoration proceeded as follows: by 5 p.m. on April 28, regions including Catalonia, Aragon, Galicia, and the Basque Country had regained power. One hour later, Madrid, Valencia, Murcia, and Castilla-La Mancha were back online. By 4 a.m. on April 29, all national substations were operational, and by 7 a.m., power demand was 99.95% met.

Beatriz Corredor, Redeia's president, and Roberto García Merino, the CEO, met with Joan Groizard, the Secretary of State for Energy, and Antonio Hernando, Secretary for Telecommunications. REE issued a brief statement recognizing the "decisive collaboration" between administrations and operators.

The black box delivered to the Commission contains a comprehensive archive of energy flows, international interconnections, and automated responses triggered during the imbalance. This provides an unprecedentedly accurate view of the grid's state and includes secondary data from REE systems to ensure global consistency.

Manuel García, director general of energy and mining policy, stated that the Commission's work will aim to quickly identify systemic vulnerabilities and revise response protocols. Early findings suggest no external malicious intervention but point to an internal imbalance between supply and demand, compounded by cascading malfunctions.

Cross-border coordination was vital for stabilization, with interconnections to France and Morocco and the autonomous restart of hydroelectric plants helping restore power swiftly.

The investigation, which includes independent experts and representatives from the CNMC (National Commission on Markets and Competition), is expected to release a preliminary report within 15 days. Meanwhile, the government is considering preventive measures, such as revising critical infrastructure and significantly increasing storage capacities.

No injuries were reported, but the CEOE (Spanish Confederation of Employers' Organizations) estimates economic losses over €200 million, particularly in the industrial and commercial sectors.