Today there was a blackout in the European Union around 11:33 am (local time in Portugal).
On a normal day like any other, the population of several countries were surprised by the lack of electricity that led to mobile communications not working.
Initially we thought it would be something local, but after some communications (when the telecommunications network worked) with other people in other parts of the country, it became clear that it was something more comprehensive.
The first thing I decided to do was go home to my wife (who was working from home) and decide what to do since our kids were at school.
However, this trip had to be made carefully as the signage did not work.
Today I saw the same situation again at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic where many people ran to the supermarkets to buy water and cans of preserves (tuna, sausage, salmon, among others).
The situation has now largely been restored.
Which countries were affected by the Blackout?
Currently, known affected countries are Portugal, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium,
Poland, Finland, and Andorra.
What was the reason for this event?
Currently, the only reason identified was a fluctuation in high voltage power in the Spanish grid.
However, we still don't know the real reason for this oscillation, and it may take some time before we know why.
Of course, conspiracy theories have already begun about this event.
However, I won't go into that topic, it's not part of my way of being.
However, there is something that makes me think.
On 26 March, the European Commission presented the EU Preparedness Strategy, which includes the recommendation that EU citizens prepare a 72-hour emergency kit.
The argument used in this communication was to reinforce the population's resilience in the face of crises (natural disasters, cyberattacks, or power outages).
Not even a month later do we have this event taking place in the European Union.
Is it a coincidence? Maybe yes, Maybe no.
We will await developments in the investigation of the reasons why this happened.
How did Portugal react to this event?
It honestly showed that there are several situations that need to be improved.
Since the telecommunications network was not working, it was not possible for Civil Protection to use the SAME system (National Emergency Alert System via Mobile Network) to disseminate messages about the event or how the population should react.
Instead of interviewing people at the airport or leaving the hospital, radio stations should have contacted Civil Protection to be able to disseminate important information to reassure people.
Increase the number of power generation stations called the Black Start (fossil fuel stations) being the stations that come into operation to generate fossil energy and try to replenish the grid again.
Currently, there are only 2 stations in this contingency plan for the entire country, making the recovery of electricity supply slow.
However, there are two more stations (Sines Thermoelectric Power Station and Pego Thermoelectric Power Station) that have not been in operation since January 15, 2021 and November 19, 2021.
This situation has shown that it is necessary to rethink whether these large stations should remain operational not for day-to-day use, but rather for catastrophic situations.