Three weeks ago, Europe almost experienced a "blackout", which means that it almost ran out of electricity, writes "Frankfurter Algemeine Zeitung".
The German newspaper names the Croatian transmission hub Ernestinovo as the culprit.
Based on the report of the Union of European Electricity Providers Entso-E, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung describes how there was a chain disconnection of transmission lines, from Croatia, through Serbia, to Romania.
The consequences were also felt in France and Italy.
Due to the excessive supply of electricity in Southeastern Europe, a part of the Ernestinovo power transmission hub, which is part of its security system, was automatically turned off.
And then that excess electricity was diverted to other transmission lines, which caused 14 transmission lines in several countries to trip within a few tens of seconds.
The European electricity grid was divided into two parts.
"The separation line went southeast from Austria and Hungary, through Croatia, Serbia and Romania, to Ukraine - that country is not included in the European network. Surplus electricity from southeastern Europe could no longer be exported. The network lost its tact," writes the newspaper from Frankfurt stating that the frequency in the southeast was 600 millihertz higher than 50 hertz, and in the west 300 millihertz lower than the standard 50.
"The consequence was the exclusion of large consumers, say in France." The reason: machines are sensitive to such oscillations. It took about an hour to normalize the situation. "Austrian electricity suppliers quickly activated large hydropower capacities to help compensate for an unexpected power shortfall of 5.900 megawatts. European protection mechanisms 'worked fully to eliminate disruption to the European-wide power grid,'" said Gerhard Kristiner, head of engineering at to the company 'Austrian Power Grid'."
That case in Austria and Germany stimulated the discussion about the security of supply and pointed to the need for the rapid construction of additional transmission lines, as well as storage centers in case of a shortage of electricity, writes "Frankfurter Algemaine Zeitung".
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