Security of the electricity supply and blackout prevention

A blackout is an unexpected, large-scale, supra-regional power outage - regardless of its duration. By its statutory mandate, the Austrian transmission system operator - Austrian Power Grid (APG) - is responsible for taking adequate countermeasures. In addition, APG is generally responsible for ensuring the security of the electricity supply in Austria, in coordination with distribution system operators and other players in the electricity system. With a grid reliability of over 99.99%, Austria's security of supply is among the best in the world. Key factors for this stability are the good coordination among grid operators at a national and international level, as well as the favorable mix of power plants in Austria. A secure power supply is the basis of our modern, sustainable, and digital society. To maintain this high-quality security of supply for the economy and society during the transformation of the energy system in Austria, it is indispensable to further expand the capacities of the electricity grid, storage facilities, reserve power plants, sustainable production, and integrate all new stakeholders in the energy system using digital platform technologies.

Note: A blackout must be strictly distinguished from a local or regional power failure. In Austria, for example, extreme weather conditions in the alpine regions during the winter months can repeatedly lead to interruptions in the power supply in certain valleys.

The frequency disruption on January 8, 2021, showed us that local, unforeseeable events can lead to serious crises. At the same time, the premeditated protection mechanisms at a European level and the measures agreed by the TSOs (transmission system operators) across Europe proved that we have good instruments both at a national and international level to cope with such emergencies. However, one thing is clear: the transition to a sustainable and renewable energy system will enormously increase the demands on the system as a whole. Therefore, we must continually reevaluate our crisis prevention and contingency instruments and develop them even further.

The risk of blackouts has certainly increased in recent years (e.g. due to cyber-attacks). We are responding to this development with various preventive measures. As TSO, it is our mission to ensure the security of electricity supply for all Austrians. On the one hand, we have highly qualified and competent personnel, on the other, we have efficient, proven and tested operational management and emergency strategies, both on a national and international level. In addition, our employees regularly take part in emergency drills and simulations involving all relevant players in the energy system at a national and international level. The basic prerequisite for our operational management is that we must be able to handle unforeseen situations and that not every single event entails the risk of a blackout. For this reason, operational management always plans for the failure of a key operating component (according to the n-1 safety criterion). A large-scale power failure can therefore only occur if a large number of unforeseeable or unsalvageable events occur in a close temporal or technical context. 

A grid collapse (due to a breakdown of the supply voltage and/or due to power failures) or an unforeseeable severe imbalance between generation and consumption in the electricity grid (drop in grid frequency) can lead to a blackout. Grid fluctuations occur, for example, due to unforeseeable deviations from the forecasted feed-in of wind and solar power plants. Surprisingly rapid changes in production or extreme load flows across the European extra-high-voltage grid result in heavy grid loads that need to be balanced out by congestion management or grid control measures by means of suitable power plants.

• Technical causes
• Natural disasters
• Cyber-attacks
• Terrorist attacks

Our simulations and crisis drills show that we can restore the normal operating state of the power grid within 10 to 24 hours, thus reestablishing a stable power supply. This is achieved by starting up so-called black-start capable power plants (e.g. pumped-storage power plants) that establish supply islands which are then reconnected.

A few years ago, the Energy Institute at the Johannes Kepler University Linz attempted to calculate the damage caused by a widespread power outage. The scientists' blackout simulator computes costs of around 1.2 billion euros just for one day (https://www.blackout-simulator.com/).

The two key factors are innovation and the expansion and modernization of the electricity infrastructure: As a central player in the energy industry, APG's electricity infrastructure paves the way for the integration of renewable energies, which is the prerequisite for achieving Austria’s climate and energy targets. This requires extensive investments in the conversion and expansion of the electricity infrastructure.

The expansion and conversion of the electricity infrastructure and the use of state-of-the-art technologies are key factors in maintaining a secure electricity supply in Austria: Only if we have appropriate line capacities available in Austria will we also have the reserves we need in the future in the event of a crisis.

Our employees are optimally prepared for a crisis. They regularly take part in emergency drills and simulations of a wide range of scenarios, as well as crisis communication exercises involving all relevant players in the energy system at a national and international level. The basic prerequisite for our operational management is that we must be able to handle unforeseen situations and that not every single event entails the risk of a blackout.

For this reason, operational management always plans for the failure of a key operating component (according to the n-1 safety criterion). A large-scale power failure can therefore only occur if a large number of events that weaken the system occur simultaneously and overwhelm all contingency mechanisms. This means that a lot has to happen for this to actually happen.

If consumption in Austria can no longer be fully covered by power plant feed-ins and electricity imports, the provisions of the Energy Intervention Powers Act (Energielenkungsgesetz) apply. After appropriate consultation with the ministry, E-Control, and the provinces, emergency measures are implemented, ranging from the restriction of large-scale consumers to power shutdowns in certain areas. However, such measures would only be necessary in case of an extreme emergency. In Austria, the Energy Intervention Powers Act legitimizes these measures (following the issue of a corresponding regulation on measures by the Federal Ministry) in such a way that they cause the least possible damage and impact on society and the economy.

Since our entire private and professional lives rely on electricity, everyone who has not provided their own emergency power generators is affected. Just think of: elevators, means of transportation, computers, work equipment, lighting systems, traffic lights, tunnel control systems, camera systems, traffic management systems... As a rule, particularly critical or important facilities such as hospitals are equipped with an emergency power supply. However, these backup supply systems require regular maintenance and tests as well as concepts for the provision of fuel, which means additional work for the operator.

A blackout naturally has an immediate impact on all areas of public life - especially depending on its duration - because in addition to lighting systems, water, and sewage pumps, ventilation systems, production facilities, department stores, ATMs, etc., electrically powered public transport such as underground trains, trams and, to a large extent, railway services also break down immediately. Landline and mobile telephone networks can also no longer be counted on.