From Newsgroup: sci.electronics.design
On 2025-06-17 21:38, Carlos E.R. wrote:
Summary: over voltage. We need a new EU regulation covering that.
Renewables were not to be blamed.
Using DeepL automated translation.
-2The report notes that the blackout, a unique event in the world,
was due to a rCLsurge cascaderCY that began in southern Spain and spread throughout the peninsula in a matter of minutes. rCLThe problem here is
not that there were renewables, but that we need generation that has
voltage control. The good news is that this can be done in the same way
as in conventional generation,rCY explained Entso-E president Dami|in Cortinas, when asked about the responsibility of green generation sources.-+
-2As explained by the president of ENTSO-E, this rCLfactual reportrCY does not seek to place rCLany responsibilityrCY on any agent in the sector, but rather to trace a rCLsequencerCY of events.
When asked about the role of renewable energies in the blackout,
Cortinas pointed out that rCLthe question is not whether or not there are renewables,rCY but rather how voltage control was carried out on the grid
that day, which he cited as one of the key issues that would explain the historic blackout. According to the report prepared by REE, there were rCLbreachesrCY by the generators in this voltage control. But the government also pointed to rCLinsufficientrCY planning by REE the day before in
selecting the power plants that were to control voltage (and charge for
it).-+
<
https://www.eldiario.es/economia/expertos-europeos-no-senalan-ahora-responsables-apagon-comparten-relato-gobierno_1_12653785.html>
*European experts have not yet identified those responsible for the blackout and agree with the government's account*
The ENTSO-E rCLfinal reportrCY will be presented in early 2026 with
a rCLdetailed analysisrCY of the rCLroot causesrCY of the blackout, for which data is still lacking: they will analyze how voltage control was carried
out that day and the rCLlocal oscillationrCY that caused a large Iberdrola photovoltaic plant to fail at 12:03 p.m.
rCo The blackout report detects power plants that rCLwere not regulating voltagerCY and an rCLimproperrCY disconnection of facilities
Antonio M. V|-lez / Rodrigo Ponce de Le||n October 3, 2025, 11:01
a.m. Updated on 10/03/2025, 11:37 a.m.
European experts from the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E), who, in accordance with EU
regulations, presented their rCLfactual reportrCY this Friday on the
historic blackout of April 28, have not yet identified those responsible
for the incident and have presented a sequence of events similar to that
in the report prepared at the time by the Spanish government, which
indicated that it was a rCLmultifactorialrCY event.
The report by the European Network of Transmission System Operators
for Electricity, of which Red El|-ctrica (REE) is a member, which the electricity companies blame for the blackout, gives itself a period of
rCLfour monthsrCY from the publication of this rCLfactual reportrCY to publish a
rCLfinal reportrCY in the first quarter of 2026. This is because some information is still missing.
The report notes that, 158 days after the serious incident that
left the entire Iberian Peninsula in darkness, rCLsome data is still
missing, particularly related to some of the generation losses that
occurred before the blackout.rCY
rCLAlthough Red El|-ctrica (the Spanish TSO) obtained the consent of
33 generation companies and DSOs (referring to distribution companies,
mainly Iberdrola, Endesa, and Naturgy) to share relevant data, eight
others did not give their consent.rCY
During the presentation of the report, ENTSO-E officials indicated
that they had encountered rCLsignificant difficultiesrCY in obtaining information from several generating companies in Spain, according to Kaschnitz. It should be remembered that in June, the government sent
letters to the sector expressing its rCyconcernrCO about the rCLslowdownrCY in the submission of data for the report that was then being prepared by an interministerial commission.
This final report by ENTSO-E will include a rCLdetailed analysisrCY of the rCLroot causes,rCY the rCLvoltage controlrCY carried out on the grid that day by the generators, rCLthe behavior of different actors during the incident,rCY and some rCLadditionalrCY comments.
Among them, on the causes of the rCLlocal oscillationrCY which, as revealed by elDiario.es, was at the origin of the blackout and was
caused by Iberdrola's N|||#ez de Balboa mega-photovoltaic plant at 12:03
that morning (which the report does not mention). This oscillation was
an rCLunusualrCY phenomenon, as pointed out by the Austrian expert who
co-led the panel, Klaus Kaschnitz.
The report notes that the blackout, a unique event in the world,
was due to a rCLsurge cascaderCY that began in southern Spain and spread throughout the peninsula in a matter of minutes. rCLThe problem here is
not that there were renewables, but that we need generation that has
voltage control. The good news is that this can be done in the same way
as in conventional generation,rCY explained Entso-E president Dami|in Cortinas, when asked about the responsibility of green generation sources.
The ENTSO-E report explains that the morning of April 28, 2025, was characterized by rCLincreasing renewable generation,rCY which led to rCLa decrease in daily market prices and an increase in exports from SpainrCY
to a total of five gigawatts. From 9:00 a.m., voltage variability in
Spain began to increase until shortly after 10:30 a.m., rCLwhen the
voltage in part of the 400 kV transmission network briefly approached,
but did not exceed, 435 kV,rCY within the permitted values.
The Austrian expert who coordinated the report explained that April
28 was a rCLtypical spring dayrCY with high photovoltaic penetration, and
that from 10:30 a.m. onwards, rCLsignificantrCY voltage variations began in Spain, but within the accepted values. He also explained that on the eve
of the blackout, a generation unit that was supposed to provide voltage control was declared unavailable, and REE decided to replace it with
another unit but ultimately chose not to use it.
The report confirms that there were no rCLsignificant oscillationsrCY
in the grid until 12:03 p.m., when the first oscillation began, which
the government and REE reports attributed (without expressly citing it)
to the N|||#ez de Balboa megaplant.
This was an initial oscillation of a rCLlocal naturerCY preceded by a second, broader oscillation of an inter-area nature, corresponding to
the East-Central-West zone of the European electricity system. The
measures taken by the system operators in Spain, Portugal, and France (including a reduction in the flow of energy between Spain and France) mitigated these oscillations, but led to an increase in voltage in the
Iberian system, although still rCLwithin operational values.rCY
Subsequently, once facilities began to disconnect, rCLgiven that some generation units were consuming reactive power,rCY the opposite of what
they were supposed to do, rCLwith the effect of reducing voltage, the disconnections of these units without adequate compensation for the loss
of reactive power by other system resources with the capacity to
inject/absorb reactive power led to an increase in voltages in the
system, not only in Spain but also in Portugal.rCY
Starting at 12:32 p.m., within a span of 57 seconds, 208 MW of wind
and solar power in northern and southern Spain, which correspond to the distribution network, were disconnected. There was an increase in the
net load on the distribution networks of around 317 MW, which rCLcouldrCY be due to the disconnection of small self-consumption installations,
although the reasons are rCLunknown.rCY The voltage began to rise rCLreally fast,rCY explained the Austrian expert.
From 12:32:57 p.m. onwards, there were major power disconnections
in Granada, Badajoz, Seville, Huelva, and C|iceres. At least 2 gigawatts
were lost, milliseconds after the protection devices of a transformer in Granada, which connects several generation facilities there and was
injecting 355 MW at the time, were triggered.
Reasons rCLunknownrCY
Another 725 MW of photovoltaic and solar thermal power was then
lost in Badajoz, along with wind and solar disconnections in Segovia,
Huelva, Badajoz, Seville, and C|iceres for another 1,200 MW. rCLSome of
these disconnections were due to surge protection,rCY but the reasons for rCLmost of them are unknown,rCY the document says.
Between 12:33:18 and 12:33:21, the voltage in southern Spain rose
sharply and, as a result, also in Portugal. The overvoltage caused a
cascade of generation losses, which led to a decrease in the frequency
of the Spanish and Portuguese electricity systems. At 12:33:19, the
Spanish and Portuguese electricity systems began to lose synchronism
with the rest of the European system, the interconnections with Morocco
and France were tripped, and absolute zero occurred.
This report will be supplemented by the one being prepared by the
Spanish regulator, the National Commission for Markets and Competition
(CNMC), which has also participated in this panel of experts.
As explained by the president of ENTSO-E, this rCLfactual reportrCY
does not seek to place rCLany responsibilityrCY on any agent in the sector, but rather to trace a rCLsequencerCY of events.
When asked about the role of renewable energies in the blackout,
Cortinas pointed out that rCLthe question is not whether or not there are renewables,rCY but rather how voltage control was carried out on the grid
that day, which he cited as one of the key issues that would explain the historic blackout. According to the report prepared by REE, there were rCLbreachesrCY by the generators in this voltage control. But the government also pointed to rCLinsufficientrCY planning by REE the day before in
selecting the power plants that were to control voltage (and charge for it).
The report was prepared by a panel of 45 experts, the largest ever formed, including both system operators and national regulators from
across Europe, and was led by two experts from Austria and Hungary.
After five months of rCLintense work,rCY it will form the basis for recommendations to be implemented in the near future.
--
Cheers, Carlos.
ESEfc-Efc+, EUEfc-Efc|;
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