Greenland capital hit by power outage after strong winds

NUUK, Denmark: A power outage plunged Greenland’s capital into darkness over the weekend after strong winds caused a transmission failure, the state utility said.

Nuuk, home to around 20,000 people and mostly powered by a hydroelectric plant, was left without electricity at around 10.30pm (Sunday, 8.30am, Singapore time) on Saturday (Jan 24), AFP reporters observed.

Three hours later, power had only been partially restored in some areas.

Utility company Nukissiorfiit said on its Facebook page that strong winds had caused a transmission failure and that it was in the process of restoring supply through an emergency power plant.

Internet connectivity was also affected. Internet monitor NetBlocks reported a significant decline in connectivity in Greenland, “with high impact to capital Nuuk”. 

It comes days after Greenland’s government published a brochure offering residents advice on crisis preparedness, while US President Donald Trump repeatedly threatened to seize it by force.

Trump backed down after meeting NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte on Wednesday, saying they had reached a “framework” deal on the Danish autonomous territory.