An expert report commissioned by the Spanish government has concluded that the April 28 blackout across the Iberian peninsula was caused by a 'multifactorial' systems failure involving surging voltages and a chain reaction of disconnections, not a cyber-attack. The report cited the national grid operator Red Eléctrica's insufficient capacity to control dynamic voltage due to a lack of thermal power stations online and some power-generating companies failing to manage surges.
Expert report rules out cyber-attack for Spain and Portugal April blackout
SpainPedro SánchezEuropeEnergy industryRenewable energy
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️An expert report commissioned by the Spanish government has concluded that the April 28 blackout across the Iberian peninsula was caused by a 'multifactorial' systems failure involving surging voltages and a chain reaction of disconnections, not a cyber-attack. The report cited the national grid operator Red Eléctrica's insufficient capacity to control dynamic voltage due to a lack of thermal power stations online and some power-generating companies failing to manage surges.
Trending- 1 April 28, 12:33 pm: Blackout occurred across the Iberian peninsula.
- 2 Days leading up to April 28: 'Voltage instability' observed.
- 3 Noon to 12:30 pm on April 28: 'Oscillations' in the system.
- 4 Tuesday (June 17, 2025): Environment minister Sara Aagesen announced the findings of the expert report.
- 5 Last week: A senior PSOE member resigned due to corruption allegations.
- 6 8 years ago: The People’s party was ousted from government after a major graft scandal.
- 7 2027: Next scheduled general election in Spain.
- Left people in Spain and Portugal without trains, metros, traffic lights, ATMs, phone connections, and internet access.
- Led to the commissioning of an expert report.
- Recommendations include strengthening supervision and compliance, and ensuring Spain is properly protected against future voltage fluctuations.
What: An expert report ruled out a cyber-attack as the cause of the April 28 blackout in Spain and Portugal, attributing it to a 'multifactorial' systems failure involving surging voltages and a chain reaction of disconnections.
When: Report released on Tuesday afternoon (June 17, 2025); blackout occurred on Monday, April 28 (12:33 pm).
Where: Iberian peninsula (Spain and Portugal).
Why: The system lacked sufficient capacity to control dynamic voltage due to Red Eléctrica not having enough thermal power stations online, and some power-generating companies failed to manage voltage surges.
How: Surging voltages triggered 'a chain reaction of disconnections' that shut down the power network.