Iberian Black-out: ENTSO-E congratulates Red Electrica and REN for the rapid recovery of the electricity systems of Portugal and Spain, and establishes an Expert Panel to investigate the incident

Brussel - From a situation of total zero in the electricity system of the Iberian Peninsula, the rapid and full restoration of supply in Portugal and Spain has demonstrated the high preparedness and efficiency of the concerned Transmission System Operators (TSO), Red Eléctrica and REN, with the support and collaboration of the French TSO RTE, as well as the Moroccan utility ONEE.

This has been made possible by the joint work and cooperation of TSOs developed over the years, both between the control centers and within ENTSO-E.

In addition, the real-time monitoring and coordination of the status of the European electricity systems has been achieved by the European Awareness System platform, a tool developed by all TSOs within ENTSO-E.

Next Steps: an ENTSO-E Expert Panel

In accordance with European legislation for such an exceptional and grave incident, ENTSO-E is establishing an Expert Panel to investigate the causes of this event, in accordance with the “Incident Classification Scale Methodology”¹. The Expert Panel is chaired by recognised experts from TSOs who were not directly affected or involved in the black-out, and includes the involved TSOs as well as other European experts. The Expert Panel will investigate the root causes, produce a comprehensive analysis and make recommendations in a final report which will be published. National Regulatory Authorities and the Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER) are invited to participate in this panel.

Prior to the publication of the final report, ENTSO-E will publish a comprehensive report with full technical details on the incident. Furthermore, ENTSO-E will provide regular updates to the EU Commission and EU Member States, including progress reports of the investigation to the Electricity Coordination Group.

Contact: media@entsoe.eu

[1] The “Incident Classification Scale Methodology”, established by ENTSO-E in accordance with EU Regulations 714/2009 and 2017/1485, is the framework for reporting and classifying incidents on the power system and for organising the investigation of severe incidents.