Austria prepares for impending blackout: exercise on November 12, 2021

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A blackout exercise will take place on November 12, involving several states and ministries.

The scenario of a blackout is not unlikely in Austria. It is increasingly becoming a topic of conversation. Many people are already thinking about it and taking full precautions. As a reminder, a blackout is a prolonged, widespread power failure. It can affect several countries at the same time – and the effects can be far-reaching.

To prepare for an emergency, the “Energy 21” blackout exercise will be held on November 12. Several federal states and also the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defense will be involved.

The reason for this is the assumption that the extreme cold period in Europe will lead to increased power consumption and restrictions in power generation – this in turn could result in a “power shortage”. According to ORF, the exercise was initiated by Tyrol’s governor Günther Platter (ÖVP).

Also participating will be the Ministry of Climate Protection as well as representatives of emergency organizations and critical infrastructure facilities. It is necessary to be able to maintain supplies in the event of a shortage. In addition, everything possible must be done to prevent a complete blackout – i.e. a collapse of the power grid – in such an event.

This requires functioning crisis management and smooth cooperation between authorities, emergency organizations and energy suppliers, he said.

“It is precisely this cooperation and the procedures in the event of a crisis that are to be rehearsed in a staff exercise,” described those responsible in the state of Tyrol.

In addition to the nationwide staff exercise, the Tyrolean provincial operations management will rehearse various “operational spectra” in the event of a blackout on November 12 in cooperation with the emergency organizations at the Patscherkofelbahn above Innsbruck, they said.

Among other things, a helicopter rescue operation is to be carried out in which passengers are roped down from gondolas. Similarly, they plan to rehearse setting up a backup power system with the assistance of a Blackhawk helicopter to restore power.