Electric Red changed the mix of Electric generation behind him blackout Monday general to reduce the weight of energy solar and increase that of centrals that provide stability to the network: hydraulic y Combined cycles (gas). In this way, it implicitly recognizes that excess generation renewable It was the cause that left the electrical system in a vulnerable situation.
The president of Red Electrica herself, Beatriz Corridorsaid Wednesday that a blackout “will not happen again because we have learned”, which means implicitly recognizing that something failed, although he ruled out presenting his resignation. As Okdiario said, the company’s security systems were not able to contain the blackout to the area where the disconnection occurred, as they did, for example, with the DANA in Valencia.
All experts agree that the vulnerability of a system in the face of a failure was due to excess renewable generation, specifically solar energy photovoltaicon Monday mix. This energy came to represent almost 70% of the electrical production before the blackout, while the hydraulics and the nuclear -where two reactors were closed because of the excessive taxes -reasons contributed.
This situation changed radically on Tuesday, April 29, according to the data of the electricity network itself. That day, the gas (combined cycles) came to suppose 50% of the electricity generation in a few hours and the hydraulics, 30%. The plot, meanwhile, did not exceed 35% at any time and wind (Nor does it provide stability to the system) It remained below 20%. Of course, Red Eléctrica completely ignored nuclear energy, which did not contribute anything during the day.
-The situation was quite similar on Wednesday, although with more presence of renewables. The plot or exceeded 40% of the energy generated throughout the day and the wind remained around 25%. On the contrary, hydraulics and gas were around 20% according to the time of day. The nuclear returned to the system although it remained at very low levels (between 1% and 1.5%) by the aforementioned stop of the reactors.
System stability
As experts have explained after the blackout, the electricity grid needs weights with weight and turbines to maintain stability, since only they are able to absorb excess electricity when the demand and inject more when it goes up. In this way, the basic principle of the electricity grid is maintained that at all times the generation must be equal to demand.
These centrals capable of giving stability (synchronous) are nuclear, hydroelectric, gas and coal. On the contrary, renewables do not provide that stability and, consequently, an excessive contribution to the electrical system leaves it vulnerable to abrupt variations in supply or demand. That was what happened on Monday and flowed into the general blackout, having not enough central capable of stabilizing the electricity supply.
Electric Red did have to pull them -in addition to the electricity supplied by France and Morocco– To lift the system after the blackout. Especially, of hydroelectric plants, which can be launched more quickly and that fortunately work at full performance due to the good situation of the reservoirs after the heavy rains of this year.
