Spain and Portugal have set up a group to investigate the blackout

Spain and Portugal have agreed to set up a special group to investigate the causes of power outages in the Iberian Peninsula on April 28. This was reported on May 2 by the Europa Press agency.

The decision was made during a meeting attended by Sara Ogesen, Third Deputy Prime Minister of Spain for Environmental Transition, and Maria da Graza Carvalho, Portuguese Minister of Environment and Energy, as well as the heads of energy departments of both countries.

"We are not only exchanging data, but also cooperating to determine the circumstances of the incident, its cause and, above all, to take the necessary measures to prevent repeated situations," Ogesen noted the importance of cooperation.

The countries decided to jointly provide information to European authorities, such as the ENTSO-E community of energy grid operators and the European Commission.

The Kingdom has closed down: what is happening in Spain after the blackout

The damage to the country's economy could exceed 1 billion euros

Large-scale power and communication outages occurred in Spain and Portugal on April 28. Major cities such as Valencia, Barcelona, Madrid, La Coruna and Seville were affected, and serious disruptions also occurred at Madrid—Barajas International Airport. Power supply problems were observed in Andorra and parts of France.

In the evening of the same day, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the restoration of electricity in half of the country. The authorities used fuel reserves to maintain energy supply. An anti-crisis committee was urgently set up to coordinate the restoration work. Madrid Mayor Jose Luis Martinez Almeida has asked for the army to be sent to the Spanish capital to help deal with the emergency.

According to Sergey Pikin, director of the Energy Development Fund, the reason for the shutdown could be an external impact on the energy system. Due to the incident, a state of emergency was introduced in the country. Spaniards began posting videos on social media with empty shelves in stores and queues for drinking water. At the same time, powerbanks in the country rose in price to €12,550.