Red Eléctrica clings to factory shutdowns as a security 'shield': orders in two months as many disconnections as in the previous four years

Red Eléctrica de España is intensively using the electricity system protection mechanism that allows stopping large industrial factories to rapidly reduce electricity consumption and avoid imbalances throughout the system. Since mid-July, it has had to resort to this protection "shield" almost as many times as in the previous four years combined. This mechanism, created for emergency situations, is being activated with unprecedented frequency. Since it came into operation in September 2022, the system operator had used this tool only seven times. In just over a month and a half, the group has used it another six times, almost matching the number of activations from the entire previous period. The situation reflects the growing pressure on the Spanish electricity system, which faces significant challenges in balancing energy supply and demand.