[time-nuts] near-Blackout Europe

[d.schuecker at avm.de]

Dear time-nuts,

on Jan.8, 13:04:54 UTC, the european grid frequency dropped from 50.0269Hz 
to a minimum of 49.7343Hz 13.4sec later, see fig 1, plot starting at 
13:00, x-axis in sec. .

As a result southeast Europe was split from the rest, the frontier 
crossing the Balkan countries, see 

https://www.entsoe.eu/news/2021/01/15/system-separation-in-the-continental-europe-synchronous-area-on-8-january-2021-update/

At 13:42:35 the western frequency was back at the 50Hz level, some time 
later they managed to resync the east und reconnected. Reasons are still 
under examination. A high western demand faced a southeastern production, 
so after the split the western frequency went down, the eastern frequency 
went up.

At 79/50 sec. after the event the primary control kicked in at 49.9035Hz 
and brought it up again to 49.9308 but eventually failed, see fig2.

In the 13. hour that day they failed to deliver 112 sinewaves. Now ENTSO-E 
has to decide: readjust the wall clocks in Berlin or Athens? ( think they 
decide for the west :)) ) 

Reportedly at a frequency below 49.8Hz big loads, like pumps for 
reservoirs or industrial customers are switched off automatically.

In 2011 the German Government launched a scenario for a blackout, detailed 
as a script:
https://www.tab-beim-bundestag.de/en/publications/books/petermann-etal-2011-141.html

The authors exspect that the drivers trapped in a parking garage will 
violently break the disfunctional barriers after 3h.

Big things to come, the next desaster ? Hopefully not, fingers crossed.

Cheers
Detlef




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