70% of Kurdistan’s power grid offline after drone hits gasfield
Officials say a strike on the Khor Mor facility halted gas flow, forcing reliance on hydroelectric sources for essential services.
By Aiko Nakamura ·
The Khor Mor gasfield in northern Iraq serves as a critical energy hub for the semi-autonomous Kurdish region. On Sunday night, a drone attack struck the facility, igniting a fire and cutting off the gas supply needed to generate electricity for millions.
Kurdish officials reported that more than 70 percent of the region was left without power immediately after the strike. Omid Ahmed, a spokesperson for the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Ministry of Electricity, stated that the attack stopped gas deliveries to power plants serving Erbil, Sulaimaniyah, Bazian, Chamchamal, and Duhok. Ahmed specified that the loss of gas took between 2,500 and 2,800 megawatts of generation capacity off the grid.
Security sources cited by Al Jazeera correspondent Peter Smith indicated that the drone was carrying explosives. These sources estimated the reduction in energy grid capacity at between 70 and 80 percent. Footage of smoke and flames from the facility in Sulaimaniyah governorate was verified by Sanad, the fact-checking agency associated with Al Jazeera.
The ministry plans to use hydroelectric stations and other plants that run on alternative fuels to maintain essential services while gas supplies remain suspended. Ahmed said that hospitals and water treatment plants are the primary facilities being prioritized for power through these backup sources. The move aims to keep critical infrastructure running despite the disruption to the main gas pipeline.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi announced that an initial assessment showed no casualties from the attack. This preliminary finding came as officials managed the fire at the facility and coordinated the shift to alternative energy sources. The incident occurred during a period of heightened regional tension, following a similar drone strike on the same facility last year that went unclaimed.
Responsibility for the current attack remains unclear. It is not yet known if the strike is linked to the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Al-Zaidi ordered the creation of a joint investigative committee involving relevant authorities in the Kurdish region. This group is tasked with examining the circumstances of the strike to determine who is responsible.
