Spanish power cutout emphasizes basic weakness in the EU electricity network

The massive power failure in Spain and Portugal This week has raised questions about whether the power grid in Europe is ready for the quick electrification and the up -to -date energy sources such as wind and solar, which are required by the EU climate policy and are increasingly regarded as a geopolitical imperative.

A theory that has gained traction since the power failure shortly after 12:30 on Monday is that the collapse was triggered by failing a high -voltage current line between France and Spain.

This is certainly the theory that the EURENECTICUM of the electricity company is arranged. “On Monday, April 28, between 12:38 and 1:30 p.m. CET, the transmission system in Spain was separated from the European network to 400 kV due to a problem with a power line that connects French and Spanish Catalonia,” said the industry group on Tuesday.

“The error triggered a domino that bothered the power supply not only in Spain, but also in Portugal, Andorra and parts of France,” said Deinectric.

Why this happened still has to be clarified. An Energy Cyer of the European Commission for Journalists that the EU regulations require the transmission system operators (TSOS) involved in the incident to carry out a detailed examination and to make a report within six months.

However, one thing seems to be clear: there was no lack of electricity times before the crash, when solar energy covered more than half of the demand alone and was exported to France via a 2.8 GW-high-voltage cladding seller. It remains to be seen what exactly a steep closure of the solar energy – over 10 GW in a few minutes – and all other sources stumbled in the generation mix.

Stream island

The European Commission has recognized that the power grid in Europe is not suitable for the purpose and has to be built up quickly with the increasing demand, which are mainly powered by the planned electrification of sectors that have traditionally been driven by fossil fuels: electrical cars that replace petrol and diesel models, and heat pumps replaces gas boilers.

In the Clean Industrial Deal published in February, the EU Executive promised to deliver a “Grids package” in early 2026, which put the end of 2023 in the bones of an “action plan”. It now aims to present the package towards the end of this year.

Electricity companies are among those that urge the EU hardest to take determined measures. “Since society is increasingly dependent on electricity, it is crucial that electricity is reliable,” said the general secretary of the Eurenkentrikum Kristian Ruby.

According to the current goal, all EU countries should have internal and cross -border electricity lines that can import or export 15% of their national generation capacity.

The European Commission estimates that this could cost EUR 584 billion, a number that the EU Executive could “bring the current model of refinancing these investments by consumer duel in its last annual energy check”.

In order to make things worse, as the campaign group Climate Action Network Europe recently stated, the 11 countries in which the target of 15% has not yet been reached are housed 86% of the EU.

Apart from isolated Cyprus and Ireland, whose first streamlining to the EU (now no longer in Great Britain) is under construction, Spain is the most widest from reaching the 2030 connecting goal.

At the moment it is only 4%, one point behind the Laggard's Greece, Italy and Poland, although a second link to France is under construction as part of the Biscays and is due online in 2028.

“Widespread power failures like this have been practically always triggered by failures for transmission networks – not by generation, renewable energies or in any other way,” said Michael Hogan, a senior consultant at the Regulatory Assistance Project, a NGO specializing in energy policy.

The degree to which its relative isolation from the European network has contributed to the catastrophic power failure should be determined in the coming weeks, but it undoubtedly prevents excessive green electricity from being directed to other parts of Europe that they could use to replace coal or gas fire production.

Every year huge amounts of energy and money are wasted when solar systems are switched off or wind turbines are brought to a standstill just because there is no place where the electricity can go.

France, where nuclear energy prevails, is only able to lower the corresponding 6% of its generation potential across its borders. And even Germany, the proud of its energy transition is only 11%.

A patchwork of bars

Euronews asked Ronnie Belmans, emeritus professor at KU Leuven University in Belgium and an experienced expert in power nets, how the repetitions of the Iberian power failure could avoid in the future.

“First of all, they need a good network,” said Belmans. “Spain is not well connected to the rest of Europe, they only have a serious connection,” said Belmans in relation to the Transylean line.

The situation – which at least partially blamed the French government to suspend its nuclear industry to competition with cheaper green energy – was “shameful”, he said.

In addition, grid planning in Europe is currently largely in the hands of operators of the transmission system, a situation known as a deed-E-E body, a situation that the critics have long complained to achieve a conflict of interest.

For Belmans, it is no way to operate a European power network if you are a “group of TSOS together at the table” at regular intervals and represents its own national plans.

“What is missing is an independent development plan in Europe,” he said, suggesting that the EU -ENERGIONGING AGAUSE should be carried out for an independent transnational system operator under the control of the EU -energy regulator.

“It could be authorized to determine how much and the new overlay network capacity is required regardless of national borders,” said Belmans.

Since the European Commission is still working on its Grids package, the next sign of their appetite should be given to reform next week. The expected publication of a plan to wean Europe from Russian fossil fuels until 2027.

In view of its own sparse oil resources, the EU has already increased its goals for renewable energies and planning the planning process since Ukraine invasion. Before the events of this week, whatever her specific thing was, it was clear that the European network was not finished.