The widespread blackout that affected Spain and Portugal in April has prompted the Portuguese government to announce a €400 million investment program aimed at strengthening grid resilience and expanding battery storage capacity. Energy Minister Maria da Graca Carvalho stated that €137 million will be directed toward improving operational and control capabilities, a critical step as the country integrates higher shares of intermittent renewable energy.
The April 28 outage was traced to a voltage surge within Spain’s electricity system. A Spanish government report identified miscalculations by grid operator Redeia in balancing energy sources and highlighted the failure of some coal, gas, and nuclear plants to stabilize voltage levels. The event triggered cascading disconnections that impacted Portugal, which was importing power at the time.
To mitigate future risks, Portugal’s grid operator REN plans to install shunt devices to enhance current measurement accuracy and equipment to regulate voltage, ensuring system stability even during rapid fluctuations in generation or demand. Carvalho emphasized that the grid must evolve from its historical dependence on steady thermal generation to a system capable of handling decentralized and variable renewable inputs. “We have to make our grid more secure, digital, and modern to support this new, more complex energy production model,” she said.
Beyond immediate technical upgrades, the government intends to expand national battery storage from a current capacity of approximately 13 MW to a target of 750 MW. While no implementation timeline has been disclosed, the storage expansion is framed as essential for maintaining electricity supply to critical infrastructure—hospitals, emergency services, and public administration—during potential disruptions.
Portugal’s daily electricity demand underscores the scale of the challenge. According to REN’s data, consumption reached 115 GWh on June 20. Integrating sufficient storage to manage volatility while maintaining reliability will require significant investment in both hardware and regulatory frameworks. The government is preparing a decree to accelerate project deployment, reflecting urgency in adapting grid architecture to a renewable-dominant energy system.
