Narrow power outage escape for Athens as fire damages key lines

The wider Athens area’s grid remains on red alert today after the capital narrowly escaped a widespread power outage yesterday following a return to service, a little after midnight, of power grid operator lines, while, in another encouraging development, winds are gaining momentum, boosting wind energy output.

The worst fears may be over but, even so, there is no capacity for complacency for as long as the extensive fires north of Athens, in the Varybobi area, keep burning.

For hours last night, Athens was on the brink of a general blackout as this fire disconnected two of three lines linking the city’s east and west. An extensive power outage, all over the city, would have been inevitable had the third line been damaged.

At 9pm last night, power supply for a big section of the city was provided through the one unaffected line. A change of wind direction helped keep the fire at a distance from this line, whose disruption would have cut power supply for millions.

Any remaining threat of an extensive power outage in Athens will be quelled once the Varybobi fire is brought under full control.