Rui Castro, a professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and a researcher at INESC-ID, provided further insight into how the electrical system works, placing the event of April 28th, which affected the Iberian Peninsula, in context through an article for the Jornal Económico.

The electrical system is designed with very stringent safety criteria, but knowing that there is always a minimal, almost zero, risk of system collapse. And that risk materialized.

Rui Castro, in the Jornal Económico

Although the cause of the blackout is still unknown, the researcher explains how the system adheres to safety criteria that minimize but do not eliminate the possibility of collapse, which occurred on the 28th, resulting in the blackout. This event is also not related to the fact that REN and E-REDES are private companies.

On the other hand, Rui Castro also explains that restarting the energy supply is a slow process, which preserves the stability of the grid and depends on power plants with autonomous startup capabilities. Portugal has only two power plants that do not depend on the external grid.

Throughout the article, the researcher also discusses the integration of renewable energies and some of the resilience measures that can be adopted for the future.

Read the full article on the Jornal Económico.