On June 16, 2019, a massive blackout left several countries in South America without electricity.
The damage caused by the blackout originated in Argentina, leaving all the country’s provinces without power, with the exception of Tierra del Fuego.
The magnitude of the damage was so great that it also affected service throughout Uruguay and various points in Paraguay, Chile and Brazil.
Days later, the then Secretary of Energy of the Argentine Republic, Gustavo Lopetegui, presented a report in the Senate stating that the blackout was caused by an operational error by the company Transener, the concessionaire of the transport of the public electricity service in the country.
The electric company carried out maintenance tasks on one of the high voltage lines of the section between Colonia Elía, Entre Ríos, and Campana, Province of Buenos Aires. More precisely in tower 412, affected by a flood of the Paraná-Guazú River.
The works and modifications carried out were not entered as required in the Automatic Generation Disconnection system, known as DAG, and this prevented the short circuit that started the blackout from being detected in a timely manner.
The malfunction that started at 7:06 in the morning on Sunday, June 16, left more than 50 million users in the region without electricity service. The blackout affected all public services and also internet and cell phone signals.
Argentina will hold elections in four provinces and also on Father’s Day, which will result in significant commercial losses. Six hours after the blackout began, President Mauricio Macri expressed on Twitter that they did not know the causes but that they were working to solve the problem as quickly as possible.
The general cut appeared more than 13 hours, with irregular resets. At 8:30 p.m. on the same Sunday, the electricity distribution companies Edenor and Edesur announced the general restoration of service.
In May 2021, the Argentine National Electricity Regulatory Entity sanctioned the Transener company with two fines for a total of close to 32 million pesos.
The blackout was described as the “blackout of the century”, becoming the most important in all of Argentine history.
The story is also news on Radio Perfil. Script by Nicolás Ziccardi and locution by Pita Fortín.
A digital initiative that weaves narrative techniques, meaningful representation, and branded storytelling has earned recognition…
A prominent London music event has been cancelled amid widespread controversy surrounding its scheduled headliner,…
Markets have staged a swift upswing following the recent bout of turbulence, with leading indices…
A once-renowned footwear label is now experiencing a sweeping overhaul after several years of waning…
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has long stood as both a leading producer of hydrocarbons…
A major shift in Israel’s intelligence leadership is taking shape as tensions with Iran persist,…
