Electricity began to be restored this Wednesday (19) in Paraguay, after a large-scale blackout caused by the shutdown of two 500 kV transmission lines that connect the Itaipu power plant to the national system. The recovery began in the capital, Asunción, and the metropolitan region.
According to the state-owned ANDE (National Electricity Administration), service is being gradually restored. Technical teams continue working to restore power in areas of the north and east of the country, where occasional instabilities may still occur.
Transmission line failure
The blackout was caused by the simultaneous removal of two 500 kV lines responsible for transporting energy from the Itaipu Hydroelectric Power Plant to the Paraguayan interconnected system. The state-owned company has not yet detailed the technical reasons for the interruption.
Restoring service is being treated as a priority in light of the heat wave affecting the country, with temperatures exceeding 40°C. The increased energy consumption for cooling has raised demand on the system and increased pressure on the electrical infrastructure.
Impact on essential services
The water supply was also put on alert. ESSAP (Paraguay Sanitary Services Company) It was reported that fluctuations in supply may occur if there are further power outages, due to the pumping stations' dependence on the electrical grid.
In parallel with the recovery process, ANDE is carrying out scheduled preventive maintenance this Wednesday in specific areas of Ciudad del Este. According to the company, the outages in these locations are temporary and independent of the previous blackout.
The official expectation is that the supply will be gradually stabilized throughout the day, as technical work progresses.
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