The collapse didn't take minutes: it took just 5 seconds for 15GW of supply to be knocked out. The problem started with overvoltages and oscillating voltages in the South where solar dominates the generation. This led to a trip on a high voltage line feeding towards Madrid: the power tried to re-route, but overloaded another transmission line which tripped 1.3 seconds later. The resulting shortage of power in the rest of the country was severe, and with the lack of inertia as described by Michael Shellenberger the grid frequency fell extremely rapidly. We can infer from the fact that all the nuclear and most of the other inertia providing generation as well as lots of wind tripped out that the frequency dropped below 47.5Hz. That would also have triggered a 60% automated disconnection of demand, including the interconnections with Portugal, which was 40% reliant on Spanish power and so also suffered immediate collapse and France, which was a relatively small export of about 900MW, but enough to cause local blackouts over the border. The figures for generation less than 5 minutes before the collapse (which we are told started at 12:33:42.2) and at 12:35, barely a minute afterwards are in these charts:
10GW of solar was lost: domestic installations rely on the grid for a frequency reference and to be able to export surplus power, and shut down automatically when there is a power outage unless they have very sophisticated capabilities to switch to running off grid. Plenty of commercial solar was also affected.
It's amusing; very amusing because Western governments have been listening to experts!
But they are experts with Arts, Humanities and Social Science degrees, often based in Whitehall. They, very unsurprisingly, don't have the technical intuition to second guess Natural Scientists and Engineers, when it comes to Science and Engineering, especially when doing the initial designs.
After over 30 years of deluded green propaganda, we now have proof that we are heading for a catastrophe of epic proportions. And some of us have seen it coming, told others to no avail, and hopefully prepared for the worst. With Industry suffering from high Energy prices, I can't see the UK's Public Sector, especially the Welfare State, surviving unscathed.
The renewables lot can potentially get around it by promoting more synthetic inertia but in short term all system operators should now question how low they have forced mechanical inertia down and take a hard look at whether they've gone too far.
You mean load more costs onto the consumer and or tax payer to cover yet more uneconomic means of electricity generation. Yes it's a plan, just not a good one.
Where we've got to isn't good but it is where we are and grid control engineers should see this as inflexion point to say enough is enough if you want to keep the lights. Call it a pause to keep the eco lot at bay and then build back from there.
It needs to be implemented, with prototyping and, after successful trials, put into production. Then, and only then, should it be promoted as a viable choice.
Otherwise it will be as successful as NET Zero has been already, with another laugh at all those poor people expecting lower fuel bills. You've been duped, good right and proper! :)
Okay - thank you for explaining this in words us simpletons can understand. A friend of mine who is an Electrical Engineer explained this to me about 3 years ago and I felt a bit like Penny talking to Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory. This really added context to what he was talking about. Thank you for that!
The collapse didn't take minutes: it took just 5 seconds for 15GW of supply to be knocked out. The problem started with overvoltages and oscillating voltages in the South where solar dominates the generation. This led to a trip on a high voltage line feeding towards Madrid: the power tried to re-route, but overloaded another transmission line which tripped 1.3 seconds later. The resulting shortage of power in the rest of the country was severe, and with the lack of inertia as described by Michael Shellenberger the grid frequency fell extremely rapidly. We can infer from the fact that all the nuclear and most of the other inertia providing generation as well as lots of wind tripped out that the frequency dropped below 47.5Hz. That would also have triggered a 60% automated disconnection of demand, including the interconnections with Portugal, which was 40% reliant on Spanish power and so also suffered immediate collapse and France, which was a relatively small export of about 900MW, but enough to cause local blackouts over the border. The figures for generation less than 5 minutes before the collapse (which we are told started at 12:33:42.2) and at 12:35, barely a minute afterwards are in these charts:
https://i0.wp.com/wattsupwiththat.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Spain-before-apagon-1745937743.5157.png
and
https://i0.wp.com/wattsupwiththat.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Spain-apagon-after-1745936970.3339.png
10GW of solar was lost: domestic installations rely on the grid for a frequency reference and to be able to export surplus power, and shut down automatically when there is a power outage unless they have very sophisticated capabilities to switch to running off grid. Plenty of commercial solar was also affected.
Wow! Does anyone think the govt will listen to the experts?
It's amusing; very amusing because Western governments have been listening to experts!
But they are experts with Arts, Humanities and Social Science degrees, often based in Whitehall. They, very unsurprisingly, don't have the technical intuition to second guess Natural Scientists and Engineers, when it comes to Science and Engineering, especially when doing the initial designs.
After over 30 years of deluded green propaganda, we now have proof that we are heading for a catastrophe of epic proportions. And some of us have seen it coming, told others to no avail, and hopefully prepared for the worst. With Industry suffering from high Energy prices, I can't see the UK's Public Sector, especially the Welfare State, surviving unscathed.
Green crashed.
The renewables lot can potentially get around it by promoting more synthetic inertia but in short term all system operators should now question how low they have forced mechanical inertia down and take a hard look at whether they've gone too far.
You mean load more costs onto the consumer and or tax payer to cover yet more uneconomic means of electricity generation. Yes it's a plan, just not a good one.
Where we've got to isn't good but it is where we are and grid control engineers should see this as inflexion point to say enough is enough if you want to keep the lights. Call it a pause to keep the eco lot at bay and then build back from there.
Great advice, Nickrl.
Green is the new black.
Green has made many fools.
Promoting synthetic inertia?
It needs to be implemented, with prototyping and, after successful trials, put into production. Then, and only then, should it be promoted as a viable choice.
Otherwise it will be as successful as NET Zero has been already, with another laugh at all those poor people expecting lower fuel bills. You've been duped, good right and proper! :)
To err is human; to feel Schadenfreude is very human.
Okay - thank you for explaining this in words us simpletons can understand. A friend of mine who is an Electrical Engineer explained this to me about 3 years ago and I felt a bit like Penny talking to Sheldon on the Big Bang Theory. This really added context to what he was talking about. Thank you for that!