Almost a week after the vast power failure that affected Spain and Portugal, the Spanish minister for the Ecological Transition considered that it would still take “many days” to identify their origin. It does not exclude any hypothesis, including a cyber attack or an incident linked to photovoltaic installations in the southwest of the country.
What to remember
-
Almost a week after the electric cut in Spain, the origin remains unclear; A flaw in solar installations is mentioned but deemed premature.
-
Minister Sara Aagesen defends renewables, dismissing any direct link with the breakdown and denounces a “diagnostic simpliste”.
-
It calls for strengthening interconnections with France to secure the Iberian network in the face of energy hazards.
Almost a week after the electric mega-cut that struck the Iberian peninsula, the Spanish Minister for the Ecological Transition warned that it would be necessary “Many days” Before knowing its origin, evoking in half a word the possibility of an initial dysfunction coming from photovoltaic installations.
“We are talking about a lot of days” Still waiting to find out about the precise causes of the incident, said in an interview published Sunday in The country Sara Aagesen, mentioning in particular “An electrical system […] very complex “.
“All hypotheses are open“, assured the minister, even that of the “cyber attack”.
The solar track mentioned, but deemed premature
But, questioned several times about the role that renewable energies could have played in this failure, the minister ended up admitting the possibility of an initial anomaly from photovoltaic installations in the southwest of Spain, as had already mentioned by the manager of the Spanish electricity network (REE).
“To date, we do not know which installations have stopped working in the system” In this region, said Sara Aagesen. “Talking about photovoltaic solar could be precipitated, even if we see on the map the different production technologies of the region. And there are a lot of photovoltaic solar in the southwest of Spain”.
More “Renewable energies are not dangerous in itself”insisted the minister: the “Pointe the finger like the origin of the incident” according to her, according to her“A easy diagnosis”and is “irresponsible and simplistic”.
After the cut, experts in the sector wondered about a possible imbalance between production and electricity request, more difficult to correct without adequate technologies in a network where wind and solar weigh more, which could have contributed to the collapse of the Spanish system.
An energy mix already well experienced
Electricity production in the country has incorporated this “Energy mix for a long time”recalled the minister, “Discarding” The entrance track immediately “Of a large amount of renewable energy in the system, since there have been many other days with more solar production in Spain, and much less demand, and (that) the system worked very well “.
“Renewable energies allow Spain to achieve very important energy independence in a vulnerable geopolitically” world “assured the Minister of Ecological Transition.
She also insisted on the need for connectivity, in particular with France: “In view of what happened on Monday, it is clear that the more interconnections we will have, the more robust the Iberian system.”
For environmental reasons, France sees a bad eye the installation of two new interconnections across the Pyrenees, assured the minister. “We insist that this must be an objective beyond our two countries. We are talking about a European market and that cannot be a debate between France and Spain.”
“France must realize that interconnections must be done, whatever happens”she concludes, saying herself “Convinced that we can overcome the environmental impact”.
