14th May 2025 – (Madrid) Spain’s government has ruled out a cyberattack on the national grid operator as the cause of the massive blackout that paralysed the Iberian Peninsula on 28th April. The outage disrupted telecommunications, halted transportation, and left cities across Spain and Portugal in darkness, sparking widespread concern and demands for answers.
Ecological Transition Minister Sara Aagesen addressed parliament on Wednesday, stating that an exhaustive analysis by grid operator Red Eléctrica uncovered no evidence of a cybersecurity breach. “After analysing all the relevant data, we have not found indications that the system operator was targeted by a cyberattack,” Aagesen confirmed.
Providing a detailed timeline of the events, Aagesen revealed that two significant power fluctuations were recorded within the 30 minutes leading up to the grid failure, which occurred at precisely 12:33 pm. She identified three key substations in the southern provinces of Granada, Badajoz, and Seville as critical points linked to the outage.
Authorities are now working to determine whether the power fluctuations triggered the blackout. The investigation involves analysing hundreds of millions of data points from electricity companies and Red Eléctrica.
Aagesen also dismissed criticism from Spain’s right-wing opposition, which has questioned the government’s commitment to renewable energy and its planned phase-out of nuclear power. “The investigation will last as long as necessary, and we will not allow hastiness to take us away from the truth,” she declared. The April blackout remains one of the most significant infrastructure failures in recent years for the Iberian Peninsula, with authorities under pressure to provide clarity on its origins and prevent future disruptions.