Estela Silva / Lusa
Tourists await public transport at Porto Airport, after the blackout that affects Portugal from north to south and other European countries
A widespread cut in the electric supply has left the entire Iberian peninsula without electricity today for several hours, without the causes being yet known, and the power supply is being gradually restored in various regions of the country.
The blackout registered at 11:30 From Lisbon and the situation extended to the entire Iberian Peninsula and part of the French territory, confirmed the REN-National Energy Networks late in the morning, advancing that the restoration plans by energy supply stages were already being activated.
Shortly after 15:00, More than three hours after cutting energetic and after several n are disclosedfalse oticia about the causes, The Prime Minister spoke to journalists and stated that “everything points” that the origin of energy failure is in Interconnection with Spainadmitting that “nothing is away”, but there are no indications of a cyber attack.
Also the National Cyberrseness Center had already confirmed that no evidence was identified to point to a cybers in the failure in the power grid that is affecting Portugal and other European countries.
The first explanation arrived from the Spanish Energy Distributor Red Electric, which This is an “exceptional incident”caused by a very sudden fluctuation in the network’s energy flow, of unknown origin, which caused Spain disconnect from the remaining European electrical system.
This version was confirmed by REN, which said that, by that time, the Portuguese electric system “was in a moment of import”.
Following the blackout, several essential services managed to keep up In operation with generators, such as telephone and computer systems from the National Institute of Emergency Medical (INEM), hospitals and prison establishments.
O Inem, however, he admitted that in the middle of the afternoon he lost contact With some ambulances, motorcycles and emergency medical vehicles, both via mobile and through the Portuguese Emergency and Safety Networks System (SIRESP).
Also Ana’s airports triggered generators Emergency, but in Lisbon hundreds of flights were canceled at Humberto Delgado airport and several were diverted to other airports, leaving thousands of passengers “at the door”.
In the late afternoon, Ren said he expects electricity to be restored throughout the country at night.
O power supply was restored in some areas from the districts of Santarém and Porto, near the Castelo de Bode water power plants (located in the municipality of Abrantes, Santarém District) and Tapada do Outeiro thermoelectric (Gondomar, Porto District), where electricity production was recovered.
Far to get to recover Electricity in the Greater Porto area Within two hours and priority consumption in Greater Lisbon within five to six hours, administrator João Faria Conceição said.
Lisbon will take longer Due to the existence of fewer electrical centers nearby, but through the Bode Castle Center and some binding capacity resumed with Spain about an hour ago, they may progressively advance.
In several areas of the country, the reality of this Monday was marked by closed trade and restoration, pharmacies unable to sell Medicines, intense traffic and streets without traffic lights.
In transport, the service of Lisbon Metropolitankeeping the buses of the metropolitan carris.
No port, a STCP maintained its operation in full operationexcept for the historical electric ones that stopped, while the circulation of the Porto Metro is stopped.
Several gas stations are conditioning the supplyMobile communications had disturbances throughout the day, and some operators limited the use of mobile data to ensure the functionality of essential services.
Various districts of the country with energy
According to SIC Notícias, the restoration of energy across the country is taking place faster than it has been predicted for a few hours.
Several areas of the districts of Coimbra, Porto, Guarda, Santarém and Lisbon, including in the capital, have already the supply of energy replaced tonight, as reported to Lusa by residents.
REN – National Energy Networks announced early in the evening the replacement of the loaded substations and the district of Lisbon drove, an essential process to replenish the Lisbon region, where, according to residents, there is already energy at least in places of the municipalities of Lisbon (Alvalade, Ara, Benfica, Telheiras, Park of Nations or Campo de Ourique, for example), Odivelas (such as Rama) Vedras.
In some neighborhoods of the capital, such as zones with Admiral Reis or Benfica, the Residents are celebrating the window The return of electricity, with applause and shouts.
In the afternoon there were already reports of energy replacement in various municipalities of the districts of Santarém and Porto.
Several municipalities today activated their contingency plans, with the closure of services, and left appeals to moderation in water consumption, following the supply cut recorded in the Iberian Peninsula.
