KRG Set to Restore 4,500 MW of Power; Minister: “Justice Will Be Served”

ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – Following days of critical disruptions caused by a drone strike on vital energy infrastructure, the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) has announced a rapid and robust recovery of its power generation capabilities, with officials confirming that electricity production is on track to fully normalize by Sunday evening. In a press statement released on Sunday, Kamal Mohammed Salih, the Minister of Electricity and acting Minister of Natural Resources, declared that the region’s energy grid is stabilizing, signaling a triumph of technical resilience over what leadership has termed "cowardly" acts of terror.

However, beyond the technical recovery, the government has issued its sternest warning yet that the attack on the Khor Mor gas field will not go unpunished, revealing that Baghdad has seriously committed to the provision of air defense systems to protect the site.

Minister Salih provided a detailed operational update to the public, outlining the swift progress made by technical teams working around the clock. According to the Minister, as of Sunday, the current level of electricity production in the Kurdistan Region has already reached nearly 2,000 megawatts.

This marks a significant rebound from the blackout conditions experienced just days prior. Looking ahead to the immediate future, Salih projected that by the hours of 04:00 to 05:00 PM today, the production level will rise dramatically to nearly 4,000 to 4,500 megawatts.

This target would effectively mean that electricity provision will return to the situation before the attack on the Khor Mor gas field, restoring normalcy to millions of citizens and businesses impacted by the outage.

The recovery of the electrical grid is intrinsically linked to the resumption of gas flows from the stricken facility. Providing specific metrics on the restoration effort, Kamal Muhammed Salih explained the production variance.

"Before the attack, the level of gas production at the Khor Mor field was 530 million cubic meters. So far, it has reached 404 million cubic feet, which is 76%," Salih stated.

He expressed high confidence in the technical trajectory, adding, "We expect the situation to normalize within a few more hours." This gradual but steady increase in gas pressure is fueling the power stations that had been forced offline, allowing for the staged reintegration of the region’s power plants.

The resumption of services follows a critical breakthrough early Sunday morning. In an official statement released earlier by the KRG Ministry of Electricity, it was announced that the gas flow from the Khor Mor gas field to power generation stations had officially restarted at 02:00 a.m. on Sunday.

This nocturnal milestone allowed power plants to begin the complex process of coming back online. The Ministry’s assessment aligns with Minister Salih’s projection, stating that "the electricity situation is improving, and within 24 hours the system is expected to fully stabilize."

Crucially, the crisis response has highlighted a significant level of cooperation between Erbil and the federal government in Baghdad, a dynamic that Minister Salih was keen to emphasize. He publicly thanked both the Iraqi Ministries of Electricity and Oil for their support during the shortage.

Salih revealed that the attackers had intended to inflict suffering on the population beyond just electricity cuts. "Yesterday, Saturday, November 29, the first convoy of domestic gas was sent by the federal Ministry of Oil to the Kurdistan Region and was distributed among the cities," Salih said.

He noted that "the terrorists wanted to create problems for domestic gas as well by targeting the Khor Mor gas field, but in coordination with Baghdad, we were able to foil that plan." This coordinated effort ensured that households relying on LPG for cooking and heating were not left destitute while the power grid was being repaired.

While the technical recovery is underway, the political and security ramifications of the attack are escalating.

The attack, which occurred around 11:30 p.m. on November 26, involved an explosive drone striking the Khor Mor gas field in the Chamchamal district of Sulaimani Province. Although the strike caused no casualties, it triggered an 80% drop in the Kurdistan Region’s electricity production, exposing the vulnerability of national infrastructure to asymmetric threats.

In his press statement today, Minister Salih reiterated that the era of impunity for such strikes is over. He confirmed the mobilization of a top-tier investigation team, stating, "A high-level security committee has been formed, headed by Abdul-Amir al-Shammari, the Iraqi Minister of Interior, and with the membership of Reber Ahmed, the Minister of Interior of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and they are investigating the attack."

The Minister’s tone was uncompromising: "This time, the attack will not pass easily, and the attackers must be identified and brought to justice."

Addressing the long-standing demand for better protection of energy assets, Salih stressed the absolute necessity of providing an anti-drone air defense system for the Khor Mor field. This defensive measure has been a point of contention and urgent request for months.

Salih announced that the operator of the field is fully aligned with the government on this requirement. "The Dana Gas company, which operates in that field, has the same request as the Kurdistan Regional Government," he said.

In a promising development for the security of the sector, he added, "We have discussed this matter with all our allies and friends, and this time the Iraqi government has also seriously come on board."

The urgency of these security measures was echoed by Dr. Ghazal Hostani, Director-General of Contracts at the KRG Ministry of Natural Resources, who spoke to Kurdistan24 regarding the restoration efforts. "God willing, gas supplies and the electricity situation will return to normal today," she said, before pivoting to the human element of the industry.

"Companies and employees want assurances for their safety. This must be addressed at the highest levels, and the Iraqi government must uphold Iraq’s sovereignty to ensure such incidents do not happen again," Hostani emphasized.

The narrative of resilience and accountability was firmly set by Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, who issued a forceful statement on Saturday condemning the perpetrators. "I want to thank the Kurdistani people for their patience and resilience following the terror attack on the Kurdistan Region’s gas infrastructure a few days ago," Prime Minister Barzani said.

He noted that following intensive discussions, the KRG and Dana Gas had agreed to restart production to restore the electricity supply, praising the workforce for their "extraordinary resilience and determination amid eleven attacks on the Khor Mor field."

Prime Minister Barzani’s statement placed the attack in a stark economic context, warning that Iraq’s future is at risk if such lawlessness continues. "Iraq cannot attract investment when militias, mafias, the corrupt, and armed groups outside of the state’s control willingly bomb national infrastructure at zero cost," Barzani warned.

He condemned the attackers as adversaries who "could not fathom the progress of the Kurdistan Region" and resorted to "cowardly, inhumane acts." He also criticized groups that publicly celebrated the attack, urging Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani to ensure the perpetrators face justice "to the full extent of the law."

The combined messaging from the KRG leadership—spanning the Prime Minister, the Ministry of Electricity, and the Ministry of Natural Resources—presents a unified front. The immediate priority remains the restoration of services, a goal that is hours away from completion. However, the longer-term objective is the establishment of a security architecture that can deter future strikes.

With the Iraqi government now reportedly "seriously on board" with the deployment of anti-drone systems, and a joint high-level investigation underway involving both Interior Ministers, the aftermath of this eleventh attack on Khor Mor may mark a turning point in how Erbil and Baghdad collaborate to secure the nation's vital economic lifelines.

As technical teams monitor the rising pressure gauges and power plants spin back up to full capacity, the Kurdistan Region is emerging from the darkness.

By Sunday evening, as the grid hits the projected 4,500 megawatts, the lights across the cities and villages of the region will stand as a testament to the resilience of its infrastructure and the determination of its leadership to ensure that light triumphs over the destructive intentions of those who seek to undermine stability.