Iberian Peninsula Power Outage (April 28, 2025)

The April 28, 2025 Iberian Peninsula Power Outage refers to a large-scale blackout that affected Spain, Portugal, and parts of France. The incident caused significant disruptions across transportation, communication, healthcare, and various other sectors.

Outbreak and Affected Areas

The blackout began on April 28, 2025, at approximately 12:30 p.m. local time. Major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and Valencia in Spain, along with Lisbon and surrounding regions in Portugal, experienced extensive power outages. Bordering regions in France, Andorra, and even areas as far as Belgium were also reported to have been affected.

Traffic lights out of service in Spain, April 28, 2025 – Anadolu Agency

In Spain, operations at Madrid Barajas and Barcelona El Prat Airports were disrupted, metro systems in Madrid and Barcelona came to a standstill, and traffic lights ceased functioning. The Madrid Open tennis tournament was suspended due to the outage. Severe interruptions were reported in internet services and mobile networks. In Lisbon, metro stations were closed, card payment systems failed, long queues formed at ATMs, and rail services were suspended. 

Statements from Power Grid Operators

Spain’s national grid operator, Red Eléctrica, confirmed the widespread outage and announced that investigations into the cause were ongoing. Authorities indicated that the restoration of electricity would be a gradual process, with partial recovery already observed in the northern and southern regions. Red Eléctrica also noted that such a large-scale blackout was unprecedented in Spain’s history and estimated that full restoration could take between 6 to 10 hours. 

A scene from Madrid following the power outage, April 28, 2025 – Anadolu Agency

Portugal’s grid operator, E-Redes, attributed the blackout to a problem within the European electricity grid, suggesting that a voltage imbalance might have triggered the event. Portugal’s national energy company, REN, reported that a wildfire on Alaric Mountain in southern France had damaged a high-voltage power line between Perpignan and Narbonne, identifying it as a possible contributing factor. 

Government and Institutional Responses

The Spanish government convened a crisis committee at the Moncloa Palace to assess the situation. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Red Eléctrica’s headquarters and held crisis meetings with relevant ministers. The Mayor of Madrid urged residents to stay indoors whenever possible and to only call emergency services for genuine emergencies.

Spain’s Ministry of Health confirmed ongoing coordination with regional authorities and announced that non-urgent medical procedures had been suspended to prioritize essential services. Security forces were deployed across major cities such as Madrid and Barcelona. The Madrid regional government requested the activation of the Level 3 Emergency Plan to ensure public order. 

In Portugal, Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon was closed, and TAP Airlines advised passengers not to travel to airports until further notice. Portugal’s Deputy Minister for Regional Development, Manuel Castro Almeida, indicated that the outage might have been caused by a cyberattack potentially affecting Spain, France, and Germany as well.

Possible Causes and Ongoing Investigations

The exact cause of the blackout has not yet been determined. Spain’s National Institute for Cybersecurity confirmed that the possibility of a cyberattack was under active investigation. Portuguese authorities emphasized that technical failures in the European power grid were also being examined. 

The European Commission stated it was in direct contact with the governments of Spain and Portugal to help identify the cause and that necessary recovery protocols were being implemented. France’s electricity transmission operator, RTE, reported that although some areas had been affected, services had since been restored.