Last week’s blackout in Spain, Portugal and a part of France had a significant economic impact, with estimates ranging from €800 million to €1.6 billion, depending on the source. But beyond the numbers, it left us with a strong sense of vulnerability—and in some unfortunate cases, led to serious consequences. It’s a moment that has pushed us to reflect on issues that usually don’t occupy our day-to-day thinking. Now we’re left asking: could this happen again? And what can we do to prevent it?
It has forced us to look in directions we hadn’t considered before and to realize that some potential solutions may come from technology and engineering. From this angle, several ideas come to mind. Improving infrastructure and grid management is clearly essential—but we also need to think about building resilience at all levels. This includes supporting the central grid, yes, but also enabling local energy management, with backup systems at the level of cities, neighborhoods, buildings, and even individual homes.
Part of the answer lies in introducing new technologies. But this path involves two key challenges. First, market adoption, especially among the players who define how energy is delivered and how incidents like this are managed. In mature sectors, it’s often the followers who lead the way, while innovators face resistance. And second, the development of truly competitive solutions. Existing alternatives clearly fall short, and when serious, unexpected events like a blackout occur, the limits of traditional approaches become painfully clear.
That’s why we believe this is also a moment of opportunity. It’s time to start integrating innovation-driven technologies—solutions like nanotechnology, next-generation energy storage devices, and the ecosystem of applications that can grow around them. It’s time to gradually move away from systems that can no longer meet today’s demands on their own.
A strong example of this new generation of technology is GnanoCaps. This clean energy storage solution uses advanced materials in its electrodes, offering power levels comparable to supercapacitors, but with much greater energy storage capacity. GnanoCaps could play a key role in future blackout response strategies:
Instant Power Supply:
During a blackout, GnanoCaps can immediately release stored energy, maintain essential systems like lighting, communication devices, or control electronics running for a short time—enough to switch to a backup system like a generator or battery.
Bridge Power Gaps:
They’re ideal for bridging the gap between when power goes out and when backup systems kick in (like UPS or diesel generators). This avoids interruptions that might damage equipment or cause data loss.
Boosting UPS Systems:
GnanoCaps can be integrated into uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) to enhance their response time and power delivery, making the transition smoother.
Support for Smart Grids:
In future smart grids, GnanoCaps could play a role in stabilizing voltage and frequency, which is especially useful when the main power source fails.
The GnanoCaps also offer potential for storing renewable energy and powering high-demand applications such as high-power lasers, robotics, and more. Though still under development, this technology is shaping up to be a key piece of the energy systems we’ll need in the years to come.
At Gnanomat, we are working to bring GnanoCaps to market in the coming years. We are fully convinced that the energy challenges we face today will be most effectively tackled with innovative technologies.
