Red Eléctrica attributes La Palma's total blackout to the disconnection of all thermal generating units

Red Eléctrica confirmed on the afternoon of Monday, November 2, that La Palma's total blackout was caused by “the disconnection of all the thermal generating units that meet the electricity demand” of the island, according to Diario Palmero. The grid operator has not yet determined what caused that simultaneous disconnection, according to the same outlet, and points to a possible link with the storm without treating it as confirmed.

According to Diario Palmero, an initial fault on the 66 kV Guinchos-Valle line cut off supply to 17,624 customers in the early hours, and the total blackout came at 06:38, with 50,508 customers affected. Moncloa.com places the tripping of that line at around 04:10 and specifies that it is the island's only transmission line and that it is owned by Red Eléctrica. Canarias Ahora (elDiario.es), citing data from the Directorate General for Emergencies, put the general failure at 06:42.

Supply was restored by connecting the available units at Endesa's Los Guinchos power station; some had difficulty starting up and other units had to be used, according to Diario Palmero. Endesa and Red Eléctrica declared all supply restored at 10:26, almost four hours after the blackout. The Government of the Canary Islands declared a total-blackout alert under the Plateca emergency plan from 07:30, according to Canarias Ahora.

The Government of the Canary Islands warned of “structural deficiencies” in La Palma's electricity system and called for faster renewal of generating equipment, new infrastructure and storage systems, according to Diario Palmero. The sources do not agree on the exact minute of the general blackout, and the cause of the units' disconnection is still unknown.