Power Blackout Risks

brazil (at least 8 states in northeastern: alagoas, bahia, ceará, 
paraíba, pernambuco, piaui, rio grande do norte and sergipe)
04.02.2011
Technical failure, a failure in an electronic component that was part of protection
system of the concerned substation. 

16h MMM 
53,000,000
india
02.01.2001
Technical failure, failure of substation in Uttar Pradesh.
Some major hospitals were able to function using back-up generators but others were 
paralysed and some major surgeries had to be cancelled. The water supply also broke 
down after treatment plants and pumping stations stopped functioning. Millions of 
people were unable to draw water from underground wells because the pumps were 
not working. The northern rail system was in chaos as electric trains halted blocking 
the lines. More than 80 trains were stranded for about 15 hours across the region. 
Railway authorities used diesel engines to pull the electric trains to their destination 
but there was a shortage of diesel locomotives. Major cities including New Delhi 
rapidly clogged with traffic as the traffic signals went out. Land and mobile phone 
services were severely affected. Airline computers failed, stopping the reservation 
procedures. Although Delhi international airport was able to avoid major flight 
disruptions by using stand-by generators, most of the airport was in darkness.

12h MMM 
226,000,000 
Economic losses: USD 110 m

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9
crobriefing on Power Blackout Risks
3.2.2. wHat are tHe causes of blackouts?
Typically power blackouts are not caused by a single event but by a combination of several deficiencies. There is 
no outage known where a faultless grid collapsed completely due to a single cause. The following preconditions 
are the basis for a high power outage risk:
•
High grid utilisation or high power demand
•
High power plant utilisation
•
Defects due to material ageing
If the following events occur in combination with the above mentioned conditions there is a very high likelihood
for a power blackout to occur:
•
Power plant shutdown for revision or due to supply failures (e.g. cooling water shortage during heat waves)
•
Unforeseen simultaneous interruptions of several power plants
•
Human failure during maintenance work or switching operations
•
Simultaneous grid interruption e.g. short circuit caused by tree contact, excavation work, balloons drifting into 
power lines, cars hitting utility poles, provisional shutdown due to electrical overloading risk
•
Sudden simultaneous high power demand, e.g. simultaneous usage of air conditions during hot summers
•
Power line collapse or electrical equipment breakdown due to natural hazards (e.g. wind, earthquake, snow
or ice load, flood, lightning, space weather, extreme temperatures)
•
Insufficient communication between transmission/distribution system operators (TSO/DSO) and power suppliers
•
Cyber attacks