Iberian Peninsula Grapples with Major Power Outage

04/28/2025 Technology

A significant power outage struck the Iberian Peninsula on Monday, impacting Portugal, Spain, and small areas of France. The blackout caused widespread disruption, affecting critical infrastructure such as subway systems and traffic control. Millions were left without power, and authorities initially estimated restoration could take up to ten hours; however, full network restoration is now projected to take up to a week.

Scope and Impact

The power outage was primarily concentrated in Portugal and Spain. Electricity demand in Spain plummeted drastically around 12:15 p.m. local time. Major cities including Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, and Bilbao, along with their surrounding regions, were affected. In France, the impact was limited to parts of the southwest, with power reportedly restored quickly. The outage led to the shutdown of subway services in Lisbon and Madrid. The Madrid Open tennis tournament was also disrupted.

The consequences extended beyond mere inconvenience. The outage affected essential services, including airport operations, ATM functionality, electric vehicle charging, fuel pumps, internet and mobile network coverage, and even water access in certain areas. Reports of supermarket shortages emerged as residents rushed to purchase essential supplies.

Possible Causes and Response

While the exact cause remains under investigation, early reports suggested a "very strong oscillation in the electrical network," according to Eduardo Prieto, director of Red Eléctrica. "Rare atmospheric phenomena" were also cited as a potential factor. Red Eléctrica is coordinating with local authorities to address the problem. Spain convened an emergency meeting of the National Security Council to assess the situation. However, the European Commission has stated that there is no evidence of sabotage or a cyberattack at this time.

Incidents of this scale are relatively uncommon in Europe. A similar outage occurred in 2003 when a hydroelectric power line issue between Italy and Switzerland caused a twelve-hour blackout in Italy. Ukraine has offered assistance, sharing its expertise in dealing with attacks on energy infrastructure.

Red Eléctrica reported that power has been restored to parts of the north, south, and west of the peninsula. However, complete restoration of the network is expected to take up to a week.