Spain, Portugal, France carry out loss of electric power simulation

Spain, Portugal and France on Tuesday carried out a joint exercise designed to test their reaction to a generalized loss of electrical power.

The Spanish Interior Ministry said that the exercise, which simulated a total power cut in the Iberian peninsula and the southwest of France, was carried out with the Spanish, Portuguese and French electricity networks and a further 15 companies dedicated to generating and distributing electrical power.

The ministry added it is the only simulation of its kind to be held in Europe.

The test, which is a repeat of one previously carried out in 2010, began at 9:00 a.m. (0700 GMT) local time with the hypothetical situation of a total loss of power in Spain and Portugal.

It aimed to practice the process of returning power based around "electrical islands" which are created around electrical generators with the capacity for an autonomous restart.

There was a simulation of the recovery of the electrical distribution system in several different areas of Spain, as well as in the north of Portugal and the south of France and after opening up these "islands," the exercise showed how the service would be progressively restored throughout the region.

Spanish police were also involved in the simulation, putting communications protocols into practice between the operators of the Spanish electrical system, the secretary of state for security, and the country's security forces.

The operation was concluded at 1:00 p.m. (1100 GMT) local time after the system was considered to have been restored to a state of "secure functioning, with all of the regions synchronized and a high level of electricity use achieved."

The ministry highlighted that although Spain had a "robust and trustworthy" electrical network, "it is vital that operators have experience in the management of especially complicated situations and to check that the responsible authorities are sufficiently coordinated." Endit