Power grids fail across Balkan as temperatures hit 40 °C (104 °F)

A massive power outage struck parts of the Balkan Peninsula on June 21, 2024, as temperatures soared to 40 °C (104°F). The blackout caused widespread disruption across Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia, and Albania. Officials and media blame increased power consumption due to the sweltering heat for power grid failures.

On June 21, 2024, a major power outage struck Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, and much of Croatia’s coast, causing widespread disruptions across the region. The blackout, which began around 13:00 LT (11:00 GMT), left businesses, traffic lights, and air conditioning systems non-functional, exacerbating the impact of a severe heatwave with temperatures reaching 40 °C (104 °F).

Montenegro’s energy minister, Sasa Mujovic, stated that the shutdown was caused by a sudden increase in power consumption due to the high temperatures, which also overloaded the systems. “The failure occurred as a result of a heavy load on the network, a sudden increase in power consumption due to high temperature and the high temperatures themselves,” Mujovic said in a TV broadcast. Power distribution in the Balkans is interconnected for transfers and trading, making the entire region vulnerable to widespread outages when one part of the system fails.

The initial blackout caused significant disruption, particularly in Bosnia’s capital Sarajevo, and the cities of Banja Luka and Mostar, where traffic light failures led to severe gridlock.

In Podgorica, Montenegro, many residents lost water as pumps stopped working, and air conditioners shut down. The coastal city of Split in Croatia experienced halted cars and ambulance sirens ringing out across the city.

Power suppliers in the affected countries began restoring electricity by mid-afternoon, and supply was largely back by the evening. However, experts were still trying to identify the precise origin of the malfunction.

Montenegro’s Vijesti TV reported a fire in a 400 kW transmission line near the Bosnia border, which might be related to the outages. The report cited unnamed sources from the electric transmission company CGES, which indicated that helicopters would be needed to access the site.

Albanian Energy Minister Belinda Balluku mentioned a breakdown in an interconnector between Albania and Greece as a potential cause. Balluku explained in a video address that “big volumes of power in the transmission system at the moment and very high temperatures in record levels have created this technical problem.” Power in Albania was restored within half an hour, but the country remains at high risk of further shutdowns due to ongoing high power usage and heat levels.

The power grids of Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia, and Albania remain interconnected, decades after the Balkan wars of the 1990s. “The whole electric grid system of continental Europe is connected together, and that sometimes has its benefits but also has its flaws,” said Danko Blazevic, the head of Croatia’s electric grid networks. “The advantage is that you can import and export and sell power, but then the flaw is that when there is a failure, it’s basically passed from one system to another.”

Western Balkan nations have seen a boom in solar energy investment, intended to ease a power crisis that threatened a shift away from coal. However, the infrastructure is not adequately prepared for new energy feeds, creating additional strain on transmission systems. The president of North Macedonia’s Energy Regulatory Commission and other industry figures shared these concerns with Reuters in April 2023.

The sweltering heat and power outage prompted authorities throughout the region to issue warnings and safety instructions. Serbia’s Public Health Institute advised citizens not to stay in the sun between 11:00 and 17:00 LT. If you must go out, please take a bottle of water along.” Meteorologists attributed the extreme heat to air masses from Africa carrying sand particles, creating a cloud-like layer over the region.

In the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, the outage caused traffic jams, with trams stopping and traffic lights not operating. Similar gridlock was reported in the Croatian port city of Split. In Croatia’s city of Dubrovnik, thousands of tourists were stranded in the mid-afternoon as restaurants, pubs, supermarkets, and ice cream parlors shut their doors. Soccer fans in pubs were unable to watch the European Championship games due to the blackout.

Belgrade resident Milos Jeftovic expressed concern about the heat, saying, “Personally, I don’t have a problem … but this is not OK, temperatures are above acceptable (levels).” Authorities in North Macedonia imposed emergency measures through Sunday, expecting the heat to relent afterward. On Friday, Romania imposed weight limits for vehicles traveling on national roads in some countries to prevent road surface degradation.

Montenegrin state television RTCG reported that while residents in the country’s capital, Podgorica, are accustomed to high temperatures, some complained that the heat started too early in the year. One resident said to the broadcaster, “I really don’t know what we are going to do.”

References:

¹ A major power outage hits Balkan region as countries swelter in an early summer heat wave – AP -June 21, 2024

² Power outage hits Balkan states as heat overloads system, minister says – Reuters – June 22, 2024

Featured image credit: jplenio