Spanish grid operator REE’s failure to calculate the correct mix of energy was one of the factors hindering the grid’s ability to cope with a surge in voltage that led to the massive blackout across Spain and Portugal on April 28, a government investigation concluded.
The report, made public on Tuesday, also blames power generators for the worst-ever blackout to have hit Spain and Portugal, since some conventional power plants, such as nuclear and gas-fired plants, failed to help maintain an appropriate voltage level in the power system that day.
“The system did not have sufficient voltage control capabilities,” Spanish Energy Minister Sara Aagesen told a news briefing in Madrid.
“Either because they were not sufficiently programmed, or because those that were programmed did not adequately provide what was required by the standard, or a combination of both,” she said.
While several factors played a role that day, Aagesen confirmed that the ultimate cause was a surge in voltage that the grid was unable to absorb. It triggered a cascade of disconnections of generation.
