Fact Check: "April blackout left Spain and Portugal without power for hours."
What We Know
On April 28, 2025, a significant power outage affected both Spain and Portugal, leaving millions without electricity for several hours. The outage began shortly after noon local time and lasted until the early hours of the following day, disrupting essential services and infrastructure across the two countries. According to Spain's Ecological Transition Minister, Sara Aagesen, the blackout was caused by a surge in voltage that led to a series of small grid failures, which escalated into a widespread collapse of the electrical system (AP News).
The outage resulted in Spain losing approximately 15 gigawatts of electricity, or about 60% of its supply, and it also impacted neighboring regions, including Andorra and parts of France (BBC). Reports indicate that the outage was not due to a cyberattack, as confirmed by government investigations (AP News).
Analysis
The claim that the blackout left Spain and Portugal without power for hours is substantiated by multiple reliable sources. The AP News article provides a detailed account of the event, including the timeline and the technical failures that led to the outage. It highlights that the blackout was a result of "technical and planning errors" by Spain's grid operator, Red Eléctrica, which failed to adequately manage voltage fluctuations.
The BBC elaborates on the chaos that ensued during the blackout, describing how public transport systems, businesses, and communication networks were severely affected. Eyewitness accounts from individuals stranded on trains and in shops illustrate the widespread disruption caused by the outage.
Furthermore, a report from Gulf News confirms that the outage was triggered by an "overvoltage" event, which indicates that the electrical grid was not equipped to handle sudden surges in demand. This aligns with the findings from the Spanish government, which ruled out external factors such as cyber sabotage (AP News).
While some discussions arose regarding the impact of Spain's transition to renewable energy on the grid's stability, the government has consistently defended its energy policies, asserting that the outage was primarily due to technical mismanagement rather than the energy mix (AP News).
Conclusion
The claim that the April blackout left Spain and Portugal without power for hours is True. The evidence from multiple credible sources confirms that the outage was extensive, affecting millions and lasting several hours, with significant disruptions to daily life and services. The causes of the blackout have been thoroughly investigated and documented, ruling out external sabotage and attributing the failure to internal technical issues.
