Spain and Portugal have successfully restored power to nearly all consumers following one of the most extensive blackouts in modern European history, according to reports from the Financial Times.
Spain’s national grid operator, Red Eléctrica, announced that as of 6 a.m. local time on Tuesday, more than 99% of electricity supply had been restored across the country. Millions of people who had spent the night without power were reconnected to the grid.
In Portugal, energy distributor E-Redes reported that it had restored electricity to 6.2 million of its 6.5 million customers, according to local media outlets.
Almost 24 hours after the initial disruption, Spanish authorities have yet to provide an official cause for the blackout. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez addressed the nation on Monday evening, stating that “all possible causes are being analyzed.”
Spain’s national rail operator, Renfe, announced on Tuesday that some train services, including those between Madrid and Barcelona, had resumed normal operations. Suburban routes around Madrid were also gradually being restored, though the city’s metro system remained halted. Airport operator Aena warned travelers of ongoing disruptions to flight schedules.
Spain, recognized as a global leader in the transition to renewable energy and the reduction of fossil fuel use, faces renewed concerns about the resilience of its power grids. The blackout is likely to fuel debate about the stability of energy supplies that increasingly depend on variable renewable sources, Financial Times reported.
The outage, which struck around midday on April 28, caused widespread disruptions. Entire cities were plunged into darkness, with internet services cut, airports shut down, metro lines stopped, and traffic chaos ensuing as traffic lights failed across Spain and Portugal.
Foreign Minister of Ukraine, Andriy Sybiha, extended an offer of assistance to Spain, Portugal, and France to help overcome the energy crisis.
Spanish authorities later indicated that the blackout was linked to “extreme temperature fluctuations” in the country’s interior regions, which may have triggered a cascade of failures in the grid system. Amid the mass outages, Spain declared a state of emergency on the evening of April 28.
This incident now ranks among the most significant power failures in Europe’s recent history.
