Minister of Mines and Energy says blackout started on subsidiary line of Eletrobras

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Alexandre Silveira, said this Wednesday (16) that the blackout that hit 25 states and the Federal District this Tuesday (15) started on a line operated by Chesf, a subsidiary of Eletrobras, between Quixadá and Fortaleza, In Ceara. According to the minister, Chesf admitted the failure.

“Event zero, which started this process, took place on the Quixadá-Fortaleza line, in the state of Ceará. This event was initially considered to be of small magnitude. It alone was not enough to cause the collapse of the system as a whole. From that event, which happened on a line of Eletrobras, Chesf, due to a programming error. The system was not protected as it should have been and caused a series of other failures, which will be investigated by the ONS [Operador Nacional do Sistema Elétrico]”, said Silveira.

The minister pointed out that it is still not possible to say whether the failure was just the system or human. “Chesf made contact with the ONS, admitting an error in the system, which did not adequately protect the network on this transmission line… It is not yet possible to say whether it was a human error, in the launching of the engineering project or a systemic failure. The fact is that this fault itself would not be able to cause an event of such magnitude, ”he said.

During a press conference, the minister stated that Chesf corrected the flaw. He also showed support for the investigation conducted by the Federal Police into the case. “More than ever, the participation of the Federal Police is extremely necessary, since the ONS was unable to point out a technical failure that could cause an event with the dimension of a power outage”, he emphasized.

Silveira stated that the eventual penalty depends on the investigations. This morning, the Minister of the Civil House, Rui Costa, had already pointed to a possible technical error. Earlier, the Chamber’s Inspection and Control (CFFC) and Mines and Energy (CME) commissions approved invitations to hear Silveira, about the blackout. Because it is an invitation, not a summons, the minister is not required to attend.