Spain competes to restore its full power after massive shutdown

Unlock Free

Roula Khalaf, publisher of the FT, selects her favorite stories in this weekly newsletter.

Authorities in Spain and Portugal were searched on Tuesday to get the transport networks and infrastructure to work again after a massive energy stop brought the two countries.

The widespread disruption continued in Madrid and other cities after the transport and communications paralyzed on Monday were paralyzed in much of Spain and Portugal.

The Spanish Network Operator, Red Eléctrica, said that at 6 am local time on Tuesday more than 99 percent of energy demand had been restored after millions spent the night in the dark.

Almost 24 hours after the interruption began, authorities still do not have to give a cause for the power cut. The Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, said in a television address at the end of Monday that all “potential causes are being analyzed”.

The National Railway Operator of Spain, Renfe, said on Tuesday that some services would normally official, including trains between Madrid and Barcelona.

Some suburban services around Madrid also resumed, but metro services in the Spanish capital were suspended. Aena, the largest operator at Spanish airport, warned of the continuous interruption of flights.

Spain is one of the countries of the forefront of efforts to trust more in renewable electricity as part of the displacement of fossil fuels, but the crisis on Monday is likely to feed the concern over the ability of electricity networks to face the demand and the greatest volatility of the supply of renewables.