Blackout caused by cable damage during battery installation at North Mole

Gibraltar was hit by a widespread power outage on Tuesday after a major cable was accidentally damaged during work to install a backup battery system meant to provide electricity in the event of a blackout.

Home and businesses across Gibraltar were left without electricity at around 4.40pm and it was at around 6pm that engineers at the Gibraltar Electricity Authority were able to commence restoring power.

The Gibraltar Fire and Rescue Service took to social media to alert people that it was receiving a large number of calls as a result of the power outage.

“Crews [were] deployed all across Gibraltar mainly for persons trapped within lift cabs,” the GFRS said.

The Royal Gibraltar Police was left without phone lines, posting a mobile contact number on social media to enable people to contact the control room.

Its normal phone lines were back online at around 6.45pm.

The GEA said the cause of the outage was accidental damage to a major cable in the area of the North Mole Power Station.

“The damage occurred during works being carried out by Calpe Electrical, a contractor commissioned by the GEA to install reserve battery power systems,” the GEA said.

“The contractor had been provided with a schematic diagram indicating the location of all relevant cables to avoid.”

“Calpe Electrical has fully accepted liability for the incident.”

The reserve battery power system, known as the Battery Energy Storage Station [BESS], is a zero-emission alternative to existing diesel generators that provide grid support and stability services.

The aim of the BESS is to provide resilience to Gibraltar’s electricity supply and reduce the Rock’s carbon footprint.