Power disruptions in Pakistan.

Pakistan's generators produced more power than was required on Monday, causing voltage

fluctuations that culminated in a system collapse that plunged 220 million people into darkness, an internal government document reviewed by Reuters showed.

Complete grid failures are rare, and operators of modern grids count local shocks from integrating renewable energy as their primary challenge. But the blackout in Pakistan on Monday was its second near-complete grid failure and the third in south Asia in three months.

The grid's failure plunged 220 million people into darkness for a whole day and disrupted commercial activity as outages also hit internet and mobile services.

According to the note, the grid frequency was already 50.30 hz moments before the incident.

The severe frequency fluctuations in the transmission lines caused it to trip, Sajjad Akthar, general manager at state-run National Transmission and Distribution Company, wrote in the note drafted on Tuesday.

«Transmission lines tripped, which resulted in the isolation of the north and south system,» Akthar said in the note.

Pakistan's energy ministry did not respond to a request for comment. However, demand potentially far exceeded supply in the northern grid after the isolation, as most power generators were located in the south, causing further instability, according to an industry official who reviewed the note.

The official declined to be named as he was not authorized to speak to the media.

Pakistan's Energy Minister Khurram Dastgir had said in a tweet on Monday a «large voltage swing» in the south had «cascaded northwards» to cause a breakdown but did not elaborate.

Pakistan started restoring power by operating hydropower stations in the north and gas-fired utilities in the south, the note read, as they take the least time to generate power.

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