Summer Blackout in the Balkan Region

Now, a joint expert panel is piecing together what caused this, and how this can be prevented in the future. ENTSO-E has already presented the initial findings [LINK].

On 21 June 2024 at 12:24 CET, a large part of the transmission systems of Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Croatia suffered a voltage collapse followed by a total blackout in this area. Now, a joint expert panel is piecing together what caused this, and how this can be prevented in the future. ENTSO-E has already presented the initial findings [LINK].

What happened?

Amidst a heatwave [DW], two lines (one in Montenegro, one on the Greek-Albanian border) tripped due to a short circuit. Following these two outages, the voltages in the southeastern part of the European grid decreased quickly. This decrease in voltage (and increase in current) caused other lines to trip as well, creating a cascade of failure and ultimately a blackout. In the 4 hours that the outage lasted, there was a major increase in traffic (as traffic lights no longer worked), people had to cope with the heat wave (40 degrees Celsius) without air-conditioning, and some cities lost running water. But all in all, the consequences were rather benign.

What now?

ENTSO-E will release the full report from the joint expert panel once the investigation has been fully concluded. However, when considering the broader implications of this incident, it is clear that the operational security of the grid is facing growing pressure. Grid expansion, the integration of renewable energy sources, increasingly extreme weather conditions, and deeper European integration all present new challenges for grid operators. To address these, operators must prioritise grid security while continuing to collaborate, innovate, and find solutions. For example, TSOs are currently enhancing monitoring capabilities through the European Awareness System [ENTSO-E].