Spain and Portugal Show Importance of the Emergency Generator

Date: 05/05/25

These days, more than ever before, we are completely dependent on electricity in almost every aspect of our lives and our businesses. From the devices that entertain us and help us to run our homes, to communications, transport, banking and even the way we pay for things when we shop. 

Like most developed nations, we tend to take that electricity for granted, assuming that power will be there whenever we need it, delivered by a dependable, reliable electricity grid. However, as Spain and Portugal painfully proved recently, that isn’t always the case, which is why back-up and emergency generators are so important.

What was the problem?

At 12:03 on Monday 29th April 2025, minor fluctuations were detected in the power grid on the Iberian Peninsula. By 12:33, just half an hour later, the entire grid had collapsed as supply lines between France and Spain tripped out. 

Almost 60% of Spain’s electricity disappeared from the system in just five seconds. Power was not fully restored in Portugal for 12 hours, and Spain had to wait a further four hours until 04:00 the next morning.

What was the impact?

The impact of the power outages was dramatic, bringing traffic and businesses to a halt and affecting millions of people across the two countries and beyond. Hundreds of thousands of commuters were left as traffic lights failed and electric trains simply stopped where they were. According to Reuters, the CEOE, Spain’s main business body, estimated the cost of the event would be at least 1.6bn Euros.

Most businesses were left unable to operate, with shops only able to take cash payments. The only ones who were able to continue were those with back-up and an emergency generator like those supplied by Central Power Services. Newspaper reports summed up the chaos: “the power cut…paralysed the normal functioning of infrastructures, telecommunications, roads, train stations, airports, stores and buildings,” said El Pais, who also noted that “hospitals have not been impacted as they are using emergency generators.”

A one off event?

The Spain and Portugal blackout may have been one of Europe’s largest power failure events, but it was far from unique. Since the Great Northeast Blackout in the US and Canada in 1965, and the legendary New York City blackout of 1977, there have been regular, widespread power outages across the world, including:

• Italy in 2003, impacting 56 million people

• India in 2012, impacting more than 700 million people

• South America in 2019, including Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay

• Indonesia in 2019, impacting over 10 million people

• Texas in 2021, impacting 9.9million people in The US and Mexico

• Pakistan in 2023, impacting 230 million people

The larger and more complex our electricity grid systems get, and the more interdependent they are between countries, the greater the chances of something going wrong. With five major national blackouts in the last six years alone, it would appear that these events are becoming more commonplace, and it is more important than ever to be prepared for them.

The importance of an emergency generator

The businesses and organisations who managed the crisis the best during the recent events in Spain and Portugal were those who had invested in an emergency generator as a back-up to their regular power supplies.

Here at Central Power Services, we can help you to make sure that, if this ever happens here in the UK, your organisation will be fully prepared. From hospitals and health services, to businesses and banks, CPS can tailor the ideal emergency generator system to provide complete peace of mind and keep you powered up whatever happens.

You may think that a major power outage could never happen here, but then they probably thought that in Spain, and in Italy, India and Indonesia too. To find out how to ensure your company is prepared for any eventuality with cost-effective emergency generators, contact CPS today. 

As one of doctor in Northern Spain told the Guardian: “The best thing we can do [in future] is have more backup generators and fuel to keep things running as smoothly as possible.”

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