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A major voltage spike that resulted in a large-scale blackout across Spanish territory and Portugal has been classified as the "most severe" power disruption in Europe during the last two decades, and represents a unprecedented occurrence of its type, according to a recently published report.

The president of the organization of electricity grid operators announced that this particular situation marked the pioneering recorded power failure to be primarily triggered by excessive voltage, which occurs when surplus electrical pressure accumulates within a grid.

"This is new territory," Cortinas stated, explaining that the organization's function was "not to assign responsibility to any party" regarding the underlying cause.

The April's blackout produced major chaos for approximately 24 hours when it plunged various regions into darkness, terminating network services and suspending transportation systems.

Widespread Consequences

The power outage impacted extensive regions of the Spanish territory and Portugal, and momentarily influenced southern French territories.

The study, released on Friday, concentrated on the state of the energy infrastructure on the day of the failure and the sequence of developments preceding it.

Technical Malfunctions

A sequence of "cascading overvoltages" - described as an increase in the electrical supply voltage surpassing the standard level - was determined to be the key factor behind the blackout, the investigation determined.

Overvoltage can be generated by increases in networks due to oversupply or electrical storms, or when safety systems are deficient.

Based on the investigation, computerized safety protocols were initiated but were unable to stop the energy grid from collapsing.

Multiple Examinations

The study comes after multiple independent investigations and reports by the Spain's administration, as well as power and grid companies. The regulatory body and parliament members are also performing separate investigations.

The national authorities maintains that the association's findings corroborates its previous conclusions.

The minister for energy transition declared that it was "fully aligned" with the findings of an investigation it ordered which concluded in June that both the national grid provider and private electricity companies were at fault.

Diverging Perspectives

Both the primary grid operator and the commercial companies have maintained that they were not to blame. The parent company has attributed the blackout on some coal, gas and nuclear power plants' failure to help preserve proper electrical levels.

National energy companies claimed it was generated by inadequate preparation from system controllers.

Investigation Challenges

The investigation also mentioned that certain crucial information was unavailable and that "gathering thorough, reliable details proved particularly problematic for this examination".

A definitive analysis, to be issued in the first quarter of next year, will examine the root causes of the overvoltage and the procedures implemented to manage voltage in the system.

Political Controversy

The blackout sparked a wider discussion that spilled into the administrative domain about the country's power strategy.

The opposition indicated that an expanding commitment on sustainable power, promoted by the left-wing government of the national leader, could have been a significant component in generating the failure and the nation's reducing availability of nuclear electricity meant a consistent reserve was inaccessible.

The administration completely dismissed these explanations and the new report was cautious to remain neutral when it came to the causes of the month's exceptional failure.

Direct Effects

The loss of power compelled professional tennis tournament coordinators to halt a game half way through play.

National atomic energy facilities automatically stopped when the outage hit, and the national petroleum corporation reported it stopped production at its petroleum facilities.

Public Disruption

Structures were cast into blackout, while cellular devices and road signals ceased functioning. Queues snaked around city blocks and electronic transactions malfunctioned, obliging people to wait for currency and crowd into mass transit as alternative travel networks were non-functional.

First responders were called to numerous structures to free people stuck in lifts in the Madrid region and medical facilities implemented emergency plans, halting routine procedures.