John Deasy (Waterford, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 82: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if he has received a further update or report from the CER regarding the November blackout as per reply to Parliamentary Question No. 89 of 21 November 2006; if Ireland can learn from its findings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5443/07]

Noel Dempsey (Meath, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I understand that the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) received the report of the Council of European Energy Regulators (CEER) on 6th February 2007 concerning the electricity blackout which occurred across central Europe on Saturday 4 November 2006. I am advised by the CER that the reasons for the blackout have been identified in the report as being the failure for some of the transmission system operators concerned to fulfil the security standards in place on their networks; and to co-ordinate their planning, actions and response to system difficulties and have in place appropriate controls.

As I pointed out in my response to the previous question in this matter, the key lesson which can be learned from this blackout occurrence is that no electricity power system can be fully protected from such events and that fast, effective and specific emergency measures must be in place to deal with such incidents. In light of the report's findings, a particular lesson to be learned is the need for the co-ordination of planning and response measures by TSOs of interconnected systems.

The CER is of the view that a similar situation is unlikely to occur in Ireland as we operate a closed Island Grid system at this point. The Irish and Northern Irish systems are interconnected, albeit with security measures in place over that connection to ensure that the systems can be separated to prevent severe difficulties in one system spreading to the other system.

In this regard, the two TSOs, EirGrid and SONI, work closely together to ensure support for each other's system and co-ordinate measures to enhance the security of both systems. This will be enhanced from November 2007 with the commencement of the Single Electricity Market (SEM) for the entire island of Ireland and will result in further co-operation and co-ordination in the operation of the two transmission systems between the Republic and Northern Ireland.