Voltage Surge Sparks Iberian Blackout: REE Miscalculates Power Needs
An investigation into April's massive blackout across the Iberian peninsula revealed Spain's grid operator REE underestimated its power capacity needs. The oversight resulted in insufficient thermal power stations being online during peak hours, causing a voltage surge. Power plants failed to control voltage, exacerbating the outage.
Spain's energy grid operator, REE, has been found responsible for a major blackout across the Iberian peninsula this April, due to a miscalculation in power capacity needs, according to a government investigation.
The surge in voltage occurred during peak hours on April 28 when REE did not have enough thermal power stations activated. Spain's Energy Minister, Sara Aagesen, revealed that the system lacked adequate dynamic voltage control capacity during a news briefing in Madrid.
The resultant blackout, lasting several hours, caused widespread disruption, leaving thousands stranded and causing massive gridlock in urban areas. A detailed report concluded that some power plants, legally obligated and economically compensated to manage voltage, failed to absorb the reactive power during high voltage conditions.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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