Power outage hits Czech transmission grid

A temporary blackout hit the transmission grid in the Czech Republic, the country’s transmission system operator (TSO) ČEPS reported.

According to the TSO, who took to social media platform X to report updates, the outage was a result of a phase conductor failure, leading to the transmission system disconnecting.

The outages brought a temporary halt to railway operations and public transportation that is dependent on electricity.

According to ČEPS in a statement, at approximately 2pm the transmission system substations supplying the Prague area (Malešice, Chodov, Čechy střed and Řeporyje) were fully commissioned. Shortly before 3pm, all remaining transmission system substations were energised.

Repairs to the V411 line were also immediately initiated and were completed shortly after 10pm.

According to Europe's TSO association ENTSO-E,  part of the transmission network went into island operation mode, disconnecting from the larger national system, which in turn rendered it inoperable.

Approximately 1,500MW of production and 2,700MW of consumption were affected by the events. 

The outage comes just over two months after the blackout that hit Iberia, bringing into stark relief the criticality of system reliability and security.

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Erika Langerová, head of Cybersecurity Research at CTU UCEEB, said on Linkedin that, as there’s no need to initiate a black-start procedure, "it very likely won’t be classified as a blackout.

"We’re definitely in a much better situation than Spain."

EU's Energy & Housing Commissioner Dan Jørgensen confirmed that they are in touch with the authorities in the Czech Republic, as well as ENTSO-E.

According to the country's Ministry of Interior on X, a detailed analysis of the entire event is to come, along with recommendations to improve the Czech Republic’s preparedness and resilience, including a review of the capabilities of operators and other stakeholders.

Minister of Interior, Vít Rakušan, said on X and in a press conference that the event will be analysed in detail to understand the causes, "but also to determine whether our systems and processes, which we test through extensive exercises, worked correctly in such a severe test."