[[{“value”:”
ENB Pub Note: The grid interconnects between countries are not beneficial for a country’s grid security. If you cannot control it within your own borders, you can not control it outside of your borders, and the Grid is a lot more sensitive to the intermittent wind and solar. Unless this is a one-time terrorist attack, you may see more of these widespread grid failures, and here is why.
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Baixas–Santa Llogaia Interconnector (Pyrenees):
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Description: A 65 km buried high-voltage direct current (HVDC) line crossing the eastern Pyrenees, connecting Baixas (France) to Santa Llogaia (Spain).
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Capacity: 2,800 MW, doubling the exchange capacity between Spain and France.
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Commissioned: 2015, with commercial operations starting in October 2015.
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Purpose: Enhances security of supply, integrates Spanish wind and solar power into Europe, and reduces Iberian energy isolation. It supports Spain’s renewable energy exports and France’s nuclear-heavy grid.
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Details: Cost €700 million, partly funded by a €225 million EU subsidy and a €350 million European Investment Bank loan. Managed by Inelfe, a joint venture between Red Eléctrica de España (REE) and Réseau de Transport d’Électricité (RTE).
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Bay of Biscay Interconnector (Under Development):
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Description: A 370 km HVDC submarine and land cable connecting Cubnezais (near Bordeaux, France) to Gatika (near Bilbao, Spain).
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Capacity: 2,000 MW (two 1,000 MW links), increasing total Spain-France exchange capacity to 5,000 MW.
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Status: Construction ongoing, expected commissioning by 2026. Awarded a €578 million EU grant in 2018 as a Project of Common Interest.
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Purpose: Doubles exchange capacity, supports renewable energy integration, and enhances grid stability. EPC contracts awarded to NKT, Prysmian (cables), and Hitachi Energy/Vinci (converter stations).
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Details: First submarine interconnector between Spain and France, declared a project of common interest by the EU.
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Multiple HVDC and AC Lines:
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Description: France and Germany share several high-voltage alternating current (AC) and HVDC lines, primarily across the Rhine River and northeastern French border.
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Capacity: France’s total export capacity to Germany and other neighbors was 13.5 GW, with 9.8 GW for imports in 2015. Exact line-specific capacities vary but contribute to France’s 37 cross-border connections.
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Purpose: Supports market integration via Price Coupling of Regions (PCR) and flow-based market coupling (FBMC), optimizing grid capacity and aligning electricity prices. Low utilization rates occur due to price convergence between France and Germany.
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Details: Managed by RTE (France) and German TSOs (Amprion, TenneT, 50Hertz, TransnetBW). Germany’s internal north-south grid bottlenecks sometimes limit cross-border flows, impacting neighbors like Poland and the Czech Republic.
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Proposed Expansions (by 2025):
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Description: RTE plans to prioritize 5 GW of new interconnectors with Germany, Spain, and Belgium by 2025, as part of a €33 billion investment to double France’s interconnection capacity by 2035.
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Purpose: Accommodates increasing renewable energy and ensures supply security amidst growing demand and grid digitalization needs.
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Existing Interconnectors:
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Description: Multiple HVDC and AC lines connect Spain and Portugal, forming a highly integrated Iberian energy market (MIBEL).
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Capacity: Total exchange capacity of 4,200 MW from Spain to Portugal and 3,500 MW from Portugal to Spain, increased by a new 1,000 MW link recently commissioned.
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Purpose: Supports Portugal’s high renewable share (up to 90% in 2024) and reduces CO2 emissions by 150 kton annually. Enhances regional renewable integration and economic growth.
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Details: These links reduce Spain’s energy isolation and support Portugal’s electricity imports (21% of demand in 2023).
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Indirect Connection: Spain and Germany are not directly connected by dedicated interconnectors due to geographical distance. Their grids interact via France, which acts as a central hub in the ENTSO-E synchronous grid. Electricity from Spain’s renewables can flow to Germany through France’s interconnectors, and vice versa, depending on market dynamics and grid conditions.
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Market Integration: The Price Coupling of Regions (PCR) and XBID intraday trading systems enable efficient electricity exchange among Spain, France, Germany, and 16 other European countries. This optimizes transmission capacity and aligns prices, though bottlenecks in France or Germany can limit flows.
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Challenges: Spain’s low interconnection level (3% of installed capacity in 2014, below the EU’s 10% target) limits its direct contribution to Germany’s grid. France’s historical resistance to new Pyrenees interconnectors has been a barrier, though recent projects like the Bay of Biscay line aim to address this.
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Grid Congestion: In 2023, the Spain-France interconnection was congested for a significant portion of hours in the day-ahead market, indicating high demand for cross-border flows.
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Renewable Energy Impact: Spain’s 50.3% renewable electricity (2023) and Portugal’s 61% rely on interconnectors to export surplus wind and solar power, while Germany’s grid, with increasing wind and solar, benefits from France’s nuclear exports and Spain’s renewables indirectly.
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Future Plans: The ENTSO-E Ten-Year Network Development Plan (TYNDP) identifies the France-Spain border as a critical bottleneck, with Spain still below the 10% interconnection target. By 2030, 136 GW of cross-border capacity is expected, but system needs range from 148–187 GW, necessitating further investment.
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Spain-France: Baixas–Santa Llogaia (2,800 MW, operational) and Bay of Biscay (2,000 MW, 2026) are key interconnectors, doubling exchange capacity and supporting renewable integration.
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France-Germany: Multiple AC/HVDC lines with 13.5 GW export capacity from France, used for market integration but limited by Germany’s internal grid constraints.
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Spain-Germany: Connected indirectly via France, with flows enabled by PCR and XBID systems, though limited by Spain’s low interconnection level.
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Spain-Portugal: Highly integrated with 4,200 MW capacity, indirectly supporting Spain’s role in the European grid.
A massive and sudden power outage swept across the Iberian Peninsula this afternoon, plunging vast swathes of Spain and Portugal into darkness and triggering significant disruptions to critical infrastructure and essential services. The blackout, which commenced at approximately 12:00 PM GMT, has impacted major urban centers and transportation networks, leaving authorities scrambling to restore power and ascertain the underlying cause.
Reports indicate that the electricity failure has cast a shadow over key metropolitan areas including Madrid, Lisbon, Seville, Barcelona, and Valencia. The Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, a major European transit hub, suffered a complete loss of power, leading to flight delays and a cascade of operational challenges for airlines and passengers. Within Madrid itself, the crucial metro and commuter rail systems ground to a halt, stranding commuters and exacerbating traffic congestion as traffic lights went dark across the city.
The impact has been equally severe in Portugal, with reports of a nationwide blackout. Lisbon Airport is also grappling with operational disruptions, mirroring the situation in the Spanish capital. Compounding the crisis, telecommunications networks have been significantly affected, leaving numerous residents across both nations without mobile phone or internet connectivity.
While the precise cause of this extensive power failure remains under intense scrutiny, early indications point towards a significant malfunction within the broader European electric grid. Unconfirmed reports suggest that a fire affecting a high-voltage transmission line connecting southern France and Spain may have played a critical role, potentially interrupting the flow of electricity exports from France to the Iberian Peninsula.
Red Eléctrica, the Spanish national grid operator, and its Portuguese counterpart, E-REDES, are working diligently to restore power supply and are actively engaged in investigating the root cause of the unprecedented outage. Sources familiar with the ongoing assessment have confirmed that the possibility of a cyberattack has not been dismissed, and cybersecurity agencies are reportedly involved in the investigative efforts.
The blackout’s ramifications are being felt across a wide range of public services and scheduled events. In Madrid, sections of the underground metro system have been evacuated as a precautionary measure, and the absence of functioning traffic lights is causing widespread traffic snarls. Hospitals throughout Spain and Portugal have reported power interruptions, with healthcare facilities relying on backup generators to maintain essential patient care.
Adding to the disruption, the prestigious Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament has been temporarily suspended due to the power outage. The blackout has impacted scheduled matches and broadcasting capabilities, leaving players and spectators in limbo.
As authorities work tirelessly to restore power and unravel the mystery behind this widespread disruption, the immediate focus remains on ensuring public safety and minimizing further impact on essential services. The coming hours are expected to be critical in understanding the full extent of the damage and the timeline for a return to normalcy across the Iberian Peninsula.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
The post Spain and Portugal Hit by Widespread Blackout appeared first on Energy News Beat.
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