[REVISION HISTORY]

Power outages in the Canary Islands

3 recorded revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-11-02 12:50 UTC → 2026-11-03 06:32 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The Canary Islands have experienced significant electrical failures affecting multiple islands. In early October, a major power outage impacted approximately 73,600 users across Lanzarote and La Graciosa. The blackout, caused by failures in the 66 kV network at the Mácher substation and subsequent issues at San Bartolomé and Punta Grande substations, disrupted essential services such as desalination plants. Authorities activated the Territorial Emergency Plan for Civil Protection (PLATECA) and the Insular Emergency Plan (PEIN) in response. On November 2, 2026, the island of La Palma experienced a total loss of electrical supply, described as a “cero energético,” following a severe electrical storm and heavy rainfall. The general failure occurred between 06:38 and 06:42, affecting approximately 50,508 connections. The outage was linked to an incident at 04:00 involving the Guinchos-Valle 66 kV high-voltage line, which serves as the island’s sole electricity transport line. Heavy rainfall accompanied the failure, with accumulations reaching 138 liters over a 12-hour period. While the storm caused localized flooding and issues with sewers and basements in Breña Baja and Breña Alta, no personal injuries have been reported. Following the collapse, which was linked to the disconnection of the Los Guinchos thermal power plant, electricity was restored to the island through a “black start” process. ~~This involved~~ Electricity companies Endesa and Red Eléctrica de España coordinated the progressive reconnection of generation groups from the Los Guinchos plant, eventually restoring full supply to ~~the~~ all affected ~~customers.~~ customers within approximately four to five hours. Essential services, including hospitals, remained operational throughout the event using backup power.

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