EU Power Grid Stable Even with 200,000 MW of Renewables - Spanish Blackout Caused by Conventional Power Plant Planning Failure

Münster (Germany) - The expansion of renewable energy across Europe is having a growing impact and is increasingly visible in the power grid. Last weekend, renewable generation in the EU peaked at nearly 200,000 MW, significantly surpassing the 78,000 MW provided by conventional power plants.

The European Union aims to increase the share of electricity from renewable sources to at least 69% by 2030. This is part of the broader goal to raise the overall share of renewables in the EU’s total energy consumption to 42.5%, with an aspirational target of 45%. Last weekend clearly demonstrated that even very high feed-in volumes from wind, solar, and other renewables can be integrated into the European grid without problems.

EU: Electricity Generation Reaches Record-Setting 200,000 MW from Renewables

On October 4, 2025, total electricity demand across the EU peaked at approximately 275,000 MW. Of that, renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, and hydropower supplied up to 200,000 MW. Wind energy alone (onshore and offshore) contributed up to 120,000 MW in the evening, while solar installations generated over 80,000 MW around midday.

Conventional power plants delivered around 75,000 MW, with nuclear plants averaging 50,000 MW throughout the day. Gas-fired power stations provided a peak of 28,000 MW, hard coal between 6,000 and 7,000 MW, and lignite (brown coal) between 5,000 and 6,000 MW.

Blackout in Spain: Caused by Conventional Power Plant Failure, Not Renewables

On April 28, 2025, Spain experienced a widespread power outage. Initially, renewable energy sources were suspected to be the cause. However, the Spanish government clarified in a report published on June 17, 2025, that neither wind nor solar installations nor cyberattacks were responsible for the blackout.

Instead, the causes were multifactorial: the failure of a thermal power plant, inadequate dynamic voltage regulation, and flawed grid control.

On the evening before the outage, at around 8 p.m., one of ten scheduled thermal plants reported it would not be available for voltage regulation the next day. While the grid operator REE - Red Eléctrica de España rescheduled the plant, it did so without arranging a replacement. Grid stability began to degrade around 9 a.m., with conditions worsening after 10:30 a.m.

At 12:03 p.m., an atypical voltage fluctuation occurred, triggered by a single facility behaving abnormally. The initial countermeasures taken actually led to an increase in voltage. Another power plant in southern Spain was supposed to be activated to stabilize the grid, but the process took about 90 minutes. In the end, several facilities designated for voltage regulation failed to respond correctly, accelerating the blackout.

European Power Grid: Stable Control and Regulation Are Key - Regardless of Power Plant Type

The blackout incident in Spain illustrates that the European grid can easily handle very high levels of renewable feed-in, as demonstrated by the peak value of nearly 200,000 MW. However, stable operation requires adequate reserve capacity, functional voltage control, and robust grid management processes - regardless of whether renewable or conventional power plants are involved.

Source: IWR Online, 14 Oct 2025