Blackout had an unprecedented cause on the European power grid
The cascading disconnection of electricity production centers and the spike in voltage levels in the electrical grid are the most likely trigger for the Iberian blackout of April 28.
The latest update on the European grid operators' investigation reveals one thing for certain. Such a cascading surge in voltage levels has never before been linked to a blackout anywhere in the European electricity system. If the blackout is confirmed to have resulted from a chain reaction of overvoltage , it will require an exhaustive analysis and investigation by experts from all European grid system operators, gathered in ENTSO-E.
Although a report has not yet been released, the experts chosen by ENTSO-E to lead this investigation already indicate that this "exceptional incident" demonstrated the need to increase the resilience of the electrical system in controlling cascading voltage surges. They offer two guidelines:
- Adopt procedures to strengthen control over voltage management and the capacity of all actors in the electrical system to prevent similar incidents in the future.
2. Assess how grid defense plans can better protect electrical systems against this new type of phenomenon.
The experts appointed to this investigation confirm that they have already received all the requested data from grid operators and production companies, overcoming the initial challenges encountered in collecting it. They are now assessing the quality of the information and its completeness.
This week, the Spanish Electricity Grid announced a €700 million investment to improve system safety. Among the measures is the installation of six synchronous compensators, devices that help increase the system's inertia level, and a FACTS system to stabilize voltage during overstations. Portugal is expected to present post-blackout response measures on July 28th.
observador
