While there is much debate about the distribution network and renewable energies, little has been said about the importance of guaranteeing supply in critical infrastructures and how the restoration of service in these infrastructures has been simplified.
In recent days, the energy debate in Spain has revolved around concepts such as synchronous and asynchronous systems, firm and non-firm technologies, and the urgent need for structural investment to adapt the grid to intermittent renewable generation. However, little has been said about a crucial aspect that made all the difference during the electricity crisis on 28 April: the ability of our critical infrastructure to remain operational, thanks to robust, reliable and well-maintained backup systems.
In this context, the Amper Group’s energy control and backup systems played a silent but decisive role. Airports and other essential facilities continued to operate without interruption, ensuring not only the continuity of their services but also facilitating the gradual restoration of the electricity grid at key moments.
In the days following the blackout, Amper collected technical information from multiple facilities where it operates. The results are clear: the energy continuity systems designed, deployed and maintained by the company worked with precision, automation and reliability.
All critical infrastructure on the peninsula—including airports, hospitals and data processing centres—equipped with Amper’s energy backup systems continued to operate without incident during the blackout and were able to reconnect to the grid safely and without disruption as soon as power was restored.
Although the Balearic and Canary Islands were not directly affected by the national power outage, many island airports activated their contingency protocols and voluntarily disconnected from the general power grid as a preventive measure, relying fully on their autonomous backup systems. This ability to disconnect in a controlled manner and operate in island mode reflects the technological maturity achieved by Aena, which is key in contexts of high uncertainty.
These results validate Amper’s commitment to technological solutions that combine BESS (battery energy storage) systems, SCADA systems, generator control, microgrid management (MASTER-EMS), distributed control centres and EMS platforms. Together, these tools form a robust ecosystem to guarantee power supply to critical infrastructure in all circumstances.
In addition to their widespread implementation in the national airport network and air traffic control centres, these solutions are also used in hospitals, data processing centres (DPCs) and other strategic facilities.
The Amper Group reaffirms its commitment to innovation applied to energy security and to preventive and reactive maintenance that guarantees the proper functioning of its solutions when they are most needed. Because beyond large infrastructures and technological debates, what sustains a country in a crisis is that the essentials never shut down.