Spain grid operator rules out cyberattack for blackout

Spain's grid operator on Tuesday ruled out a cyberattack as the cause of a sweeping blackout that sparked chaos for millions of people across the Iberian Peninsula the previous day.

Authorities were still trying to establish the cause of the crisis, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pleading with people "not to speculate" and avoid spreading "misinformation".

"With the analysis that we have been able to carry out up to now, we can rule out a cybersecurity incident in the facilities" of national grid operator Red Electrica, its director of operations Eduardo Prieto told a news conference.

"There was no type of intrusion in Red Electrica's control systems that may have caused the incident," he added.

After the authorities worked tirelessly during the night to restore power progressively across Spain, Prieto said the electric system had been "normalised" and "working in a stable and correct way".

Portuguese grid operator REN denied on Tuesday it was behind a message circulated on social media attributing the blackout to a rare atmospheric event.

The message in Portuguese said there was a "fault" in the Spanish electricity grid linked to "abnormal oscillations were recorded in the very high-voltage lines (400 kV), a phenomenon known as 'induced atmospheric vibration'."

"REN confirms we did not put out this statement," spokesman Bruno Silva told AFP, without giving further details.

© Agence France-Presse