Following a rare nationwide blackout, Spain has restored nearly all electricity supply, though most trains remain idle and the cause of the outage remains unclear.
Spain’s electricity grid operator, Red Eléctrica, announced on Tuesday that it had managed to supply nearly the entire country’s power demand following a massive blackout that disrupted the Iberian Peninsula the day before. All substations in Spain were operational by Tuesday morning, the operator said in a statement on X, while control centre teams continued efforts to fully stabilise the system.
Despite the restoration of electricity, the rail network remained significantly impaired. Madrid’s underground resumed limited operations with 80% of trains running, while the national railway operator Adif confirmed that most intercity and regional trains across Spain were still not functioning.
The unprecedented outage struck on Monday morning, impacting Spain and Portugal, halting public transport, grounding aircraft, and leading hospitals to scale back routine services. Power began to return late Monday, yet several sectors faced continued disruption into Tuesday.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the blackout was triggered by a sudden drop of 15 gigawatts of electricity generation within five seconds—roughly 60% of Spain’s total demand. This abrupt loss disconnected Spain’s power grid from France’s, leading to a wider systemic collapse, according to Red Eléctrica's operations chief, Eduardo Prieto.
While minor outages were also reported in parts of France, Portugal’s grid operator indicated that the problem likely originated in Spain. Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro stated that there was no evidence pointing to a cyberattack.
The incident has reignited debate over the stability of renewable energy networks. Spain, a leading user of wind and solar energy, faces growing scrutiny over whether its energy infrastructure can withstand supply fluctuations. Prime Minister Sanchez said the root cause of the outage remains unknown and that no possibility, including technical failure or external interference, is being ruled out.
Sanchez also discussed the incident with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Monday, according to sources in Brussels.
Iran’s atomic energy chief says Tehran could dilute uranium enriched to 60 per cent if all international sanctions are lifted, stressing that techni...
NATO member Türkiye has dispatched several military aircraft to Germany, along with roughly 2,000 troops, to take part in the Western alliance’s la...
The UK has pledged to step up engagement with Beijing after Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison, ...
Japan’s snap election has delivered a landslide victory for Sanae Takaichi, giving her a strong mandate to advance fiscal expansion and defence refo...
The U.S. Helsinki Commission is set to refocus attention on Georgia’s domestic political crisis and its faltering relationship with Washington with ...
Experts say there is no proof a renewable energy experiment led to the widespread blackout across the Iberian Peninsula in April, as investigations point to a complex grid failure with no single identified cause.
An unexpected power failure in southern Spain set off a chain reaction that left the Iberian Peninsula in darkness, with authorities still searching for answers.
Spain’s Interior Ministry declared a state of emergency on Monday after a nationwide power blackout struck much of the Iberian Peninsula.
A major blackout across Spain and Portugal could last 6 to 10 hours, according to Red Electrica. While power is being restored in some areas, the cause of the outage remains unclear, with authorities considering the possibility of a cyberattack.
U.S. President Donald Trump has criticised American freestyle skier Hunter Hess after the athlete said he felt conflicted about representing the United States at the Winter Olympics in Italy, sparking a public clash that highlights growing political tensions surrounding the Games.
Iran would retaliate by striking U.S. military bases across the Middle East if it comes under attack by American forces, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday (7 January), stressing that such action should not be seen as targeting the countries hosting those bases.
U.S. skiing great Lindsey Vonn underwent surgery in an Italian hospital on Sunday after her attempt to win Olympic downhill gold ended in a violent crash just seconds into the race at the Milano Cortina Winter Games.
A Japanese city near Mount Fuji has cancelled its annual cherry blossom festival, saying growing numbers of badly behaved tourists are disrupting daily life for residents.
Several avalanches struck northern Italy on Saturday, killing at least three people, as rescue officials warned the death toll could rise with unstable conditions persisting across the Alps.
Japan’s snap election has delivered a landslide victory for Sanae Takaichi, giving her a strong mandate to advance fiscal expansion and defence reforms. But, analysts warn that inflation risks and funding challenges could complicate her agenda.
Australia’s move to ban social media access for children under 16 has intensified a global debate, as governments across Europe and beyond weigh tougher rules amid growing concerns over mental health, safety and screen addiction.
The UK has pledged to step up engagement with Beijing after Hong Kong media tycoon and British citizen Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with the case resurfacing as a key issue following Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s recent trip to Beijing.
Venezuelan authorities said they were seeking court approval to put prominent opposition politician Juan Pablo Guanipa under house arrest on Sunday, shortly after he was seized by armed men in Caracas in what his son called a kidnapping.
Hong Kong’s most prominent media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced on Monday (9 February) to a total of 20 years in prison on national security charges. The verdict covers two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count related to publishing seditious materials.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment