Key Points
- The rare mass blackout brought parts of Spain and Portugal to a standstill.
- The power outage grounded planes, halted public transport and caused panic buying.
- Power has started returning in some parts of both countries.
Power has started returning to parts of Spain and Portugal after a huge outage brought parts of both countries to a standstill, grounding planes, halting public transport, and forcing some hospitals to suspend routine operations.
Spain's interior ministry declared a national emergency, deploying 30,000 police across the country, as governments from the two countries convened emergency cabinet meetings.
The cause of the mass blackout, which started around 8.30pm AEST on Monday, was unclear. Portugal has suggested the issue originated in Spain, as Spain pointed the finger at a break-up in its connection to France.
Officials said the reasons for the blackout were unclear, with Portugal's Prime Minister Luís Montenegro saying there was "no indication" a cyberattack was the cause.
"We do not yet have conclusive information on the reasons for this [power] cut," Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a national address, adding there had been no signs of any security issues. Nonetheless, he said he had spoken to NATO secretary-general Mark Rutte.
Planes were grounded in Spain and Portugal due to the power outage. Source: AP / Manu Fernandez
Power starts returning
In Spain, power started returning to the Basque Country and Barcelona areas in the early afternoon, and to parts of the capital Madrid later that night. About 61 per cent of electricity had been restored by late Monday, according to the national grid operator.
Power was also gradually returning to various municipalities in Portugal later that day, including Lisbon city centre.
In Portugal, electricity distributor REN said it had restored production at a hydroelectric and thermoelectric plant, and was prioritising supply resumption to hospitals and transport.
It was possible the blackout had been caused by a "very large oscillation in electrical voltage, first in the Spanish system, which then spread to the Portuguese system", REN board member Joao Conceicao told reporters.
A generator powers a meat shop during the massive power outage in Pamplona, northern Spain. Source: AP / Miguel Oses
Hospitals, shops, and transportation affected
Hospitals in Madrid and Catalonia in Spain suspended all routine medical work but were still attending to critical patients, using backup generators.
Several Spanish oil refineries were shut down, and some retail businesses, including grocery chain Lidl and furniture giant IKEA, closed in both countries.
Sanchez said about 35,000 train passengers had been rescued from trains, while 11 trains still remained stranded in remote areas.
Portuguese Police said traffic lights were affected across the country and the metro was closed in Lisbon and Porto, while trains were cancelled in both countries.
"I just don't know who to turn to. My daughter in Barcelona is giving birth. We're going to miss the connection to get there," said Angeles Alvarez, stranded outside Madrid's Atocha railway station.
People in Spain and Portugal rushed to stock up on staples during the power outage. Source: AP / Miguel Oses
The Bank of Spain said electronic banking was functioning "adequately" on backup systems, while some residents reported ATM screens had gone blank.
Many Spaniards decided to take a half-day off, congregating in streets and plazas for impromptu get-togethers or cooking meals by candlelight at home.
Internet traffic plummeted by 90 per cent in Portugal and 80 per cent in Spain compared to the previous week's levels, according to Cloudflare Radar, which monitors global internet traffic.
Parts of France also suffered a brief outage. RTE, the French grid operator, said it had moved to supplement power to some parts of northern Spain after the outage hit.
Portuguese Police said traffic lights were affected across the country and the metro was closed in Lisbon and Porto, while trains were cancelled in both countries. Source: AP / Armando Franca
In 2003, a problem with a hydroelectric power line between Italy and Switzerland caused a major outage across the whole Italian peninsula for around 12 hours.
In 2006, an overloaded power network in Germany caused electricity cuts across parts of Europe and as far as Morocco.
About 43 per cent of Spain's energy comes from wind and solar power, with nuclear accounting for a further 20 per cent and fossil fuels 23 per cent, according to energy think tank Ember.
