Spain - Large Power Outage

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1917902006905172363

 

[PrairieWind]

Copper cable theft in Spain delays thousands of high-speed rail passengers

Spanish authorities say that thousands of rail passengers in Spain have been hit with delays after copper cables used in the signaling system of a high-speed line traveling south from Madrid to Seville were stolen at five locations.

apnews.com

Now train service is stopped over theft of cables. Is there something more going on in Spain?

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Copper cable theft in Spain delays thousands of high-speed rail passengers

Spanish authorities say that thousands of rail passengers in Spain have been hit with delays after copper cables used in the signaling system of a high-speed line traveling south from Madrid to Seville were stolen at five locations.

apnews.com

Now train service is stopped over theft of cables. Is there something more going on in Spain?

Copper cable theft has been a problem with the railways in the UK for several years, eg:

Rail disruption after £100K worth of cable stolen

Passengers have been warned to expect disruption between Chorley and Bolton following the theft.

www.bbc.co.uk

Cable theft gang who crippled huge sections of Britain's railways in

- Crew took more than six miles of copper wire in £700,000 spree- They used a 4x4 to haul cables out of manholes- Thousands of phone lines cut off as they chopped up telephone wires

www.standard.co.uk

It has also been a growing problem in the US where gangs have been cutting off and nicking the cables for EV chargers. There have been a number of reports of drivers turning up at public EV charging stations and finding that every one of dozens of charging points is unusable. The problem started in the Seattle area but has now spread to other parts of the country:

Seattle-area EV drivers left searching for fast chargers due to ‘epidemic’ of cable theft

Customers reported the cut cables at the EVgo station on Holman Road last week after thieves vandalized the charging stations overnight. (GeekWire Photo /

www.geekwire.com

Seattle EV chargers repeatedly damaged by copper thieves

Dozens of cables have been stolen from electric vehicle (EV) chargers around Seattle, taking them out of service for drivers looking for a charge.

www.fox13seattle.com

Thefts of charging cables pose yet another obstacle to appeal of electric vehicles

Broken-down chargers have emerged as the latest obstacle for U.S. automakers in their effort to convert more Americans to EVs.

apnews.com

 

[MelmothTheLost]

Just when it seemed safe to put away the candles, more power outages have been reported on the island of La Palma in the Canaries:

Spain hit by more blackouts

Local media reported that thousands of locals and holidaymakers across the island were left without power for nearly two hours after a blackout occurred at around 10am local time.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[tarabull]

It's been one year since the most intense solar storm in decades created worldwide auroras. What have we learned?

"It was a reminder that our sun is capable of producing these very disruptive events that can impact our critical infrastructure."

www.space.com

 

[Dotta]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1925864033833320826

 

[tarabull]

Neither human failure nor sabotage - An extreme solar flare could have caused another major blackout... and that's how we would have been affected

A recent solar flare is making governments of many countries aware of the dangers of blackouts. In May, there was a solar flare-class X2.7 detected by NASA

unionrayo.com

 

[Dotta]

"Blackout in Spain and Portugal ​

caused by 'voltage surge'.​

In April, a massive blackout paralyzed Spain and Portugal for hours.

New government report
has revealed the cause."

Blackout in Spain and Portugal caused by 'voltage surge' – DW – 06/17/2025

In April, a massive blackout paralyzed Spain and Portugal for hours. A new government report has revealed the cause.

amp-dw-com.cdn.ampproject.org