Spain, Portugal, France, and Andorra hit by large-scale power outages

According to Espreso Global’s correspondent Maria Drobiazko, reporting from Castellón, the power supply was cut off at around 12:30 p.m. local time, and mobile communication was immediately lost. The situation remains tense, with shops closed and queues at gas stations. 

“Payments are only available in cash, ATMs and traffic lights also stopped functioning, so police are trying to regulate traffic manually. In major cities, critical infrastructure is running on backup generators. In small towns, even hospitals have stopped working. The government is actively working to find the cause and restore power supply. The government urges everyone to stay calm and stay at home if possible,” Maria Drobiazko said. 

Spain’s electricity grid operator, Red Eléctrica, stated that protocols have been activated to restore supply. The causes of the outage are currently being investigated, and "all resources have been directed toward resolving the issue."

Due to the outages, metro services in Madrid came to a halt — people had to be evacuated from trains. 

A senior director at Red Eléctrica said that it would take between 6 to 10 hours to restore power across Spain. Meanwhile, Spanish media mentioned that a National Security Council meeting had been scheduled because of the blackout.

Meanwhile, authorities in Portugal have indicated that the massive blackout is linked to a problem in the European power grid. It was later reported that power also went out in Andorra and parts of France.

The European Commission and the European Council are currently in contact with the governments of Portugal and Spain regarding the mass outages, aiming to understand the cause and the situation’s development.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that she had spoken with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez about the power outages. She mentioned that the Commission is helping "monitor the situation with national and European authorities and our Electricity Coordination Group."

"We will coordinate efforts and share information to help restore the power supply system, and we agreed to maintain close contact," she added.

Portugal’s electricity grid operator, Redes Energéticas Nacionais, stated that it is currently impossible to say how long the country will remain without electricity after the large-scale outage.

"At present, it is impossible to predict when the situation will normalize," the operator said, adding that "all resources are being deployed" to address the aftermath of the power failure.

Ukraine ready to assist in restoring stable power networks

Ukraine’s Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko announced that Ukraine is ready to assist in restoring the stable operation of allied European energy networks.

"We are ready to share the knowledge and experience we have gained, particularly during systematic Russian attacks on our energy infrastructure. We are grateful to the EU countries for their support and are always ready to lend a hand!" he wrote.