The Montenegrin Energy Minister said the incident was caused by a sudden increase in electricity consumption and high temperatures that overloaded the system. Electricity distribution is interconnected across the Balkans to transfer and coordinate power to each other.
Widespread power outages have hit Balkan countries as the region endures a heatwave. Photo: Euronews
Power and internet were out from around 1 p.m. Providers in four countries began restoring power by mid-afternoon and power was largely restored by evening.
As the power outage began, traffic lights went out, causing traffic jams in Bosnia's capital Sarajevo, as well as the cities of Banja Luka and Mostar. Many people in Podgorica were left without water because pumps stopped working. Air conditioning stopped working and ice cream melted in tourist shops.
Vijesti TV said a fire had been detected on a 400-kilowatt transmission line along the border with Bosnia, but it was unclear whether this was the cause of the blackout. Albanian Energy Minister Belinda Balluku said there was a problem with the connection between Albania and Greece.
Power was restored in Albania within half an hour but the risk of blackouts remains high. Western Balkan countries have invested heavily in solar power to ease the power crisis, but the infrastructure is not yet ready for the new energy source.
Hong Hanh (Reuters)
Source: https://www.congluan.vn/mot-loat-quoc-gia-balkan-mat-dien-do-he-thong-qua-tai-vi-nang-nong-post300324.html
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