“We will have another meeting next week because it is very important to gather all the information to understand exactly what caused the incident, which, as you know, was in the Spanish network,” stated Maria da Graça Carvalho.
The Portuguese minister held a videoconference this morning with Spain’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for the Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, Sara Aagesen, to discuss the current energy situation in the Iberian Peninsula.
Maria da Graça Carvalho pointed out that it “will take some time to understand exactly” the reasons for the blackout, and both countries “will need a lot of data to fully comprehend what happened.”
A widespread power outage affected both Portugal and Spain starting at 11:30 on Monday.
Closed airports, transportation and traffic congestion in major cities, and fuel shortages were some of the consequences of the blackout.
“At the moment, there is still no idea about what caused it because, as I told you, it was a serious, complex incident that needs to be thoroughly analyzed,” said the minister.
According to Maria da Graça Carvalho, Portuguese officials know “what needs to be done,” such as “adding more resilience” to the system.
“And we also know that even with a very resilient system, no one can be 100% protected from an event of this kind,” she added.
Maria da Graça Carvalho mentioned she has been in contact not only with her Spanish counterpart but also with the European Commissioner for Energy, Teresa Ribeira.
The European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity announced on Thursday the establishment of a committee to investigate the “exceptional and serious” blackout that left Portugal and Spain in darkness on Monday.
The organization stated it will “investigate the root causes, carry out a thorough analysis, and provide recommendations in a final report” concerning Monday’s incident, which left mainland Portugal, Spain, Andorra, and part of French territory without electricity.
