ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Kurdistan Region has restored enough electricity generation to supply residents with 1,500 megawatts following the shutdown of the Khor Mor gas field, raising daily public electricity supply to six to eight hours, the Kurdistan Regional Government's (KRG) electricity ministry spokesperson said Thursday.
Speaking to Rudaw TV's Zana Kayani, Omed Ahmed said that authorities had increased electricity generation from approximately 1,000 megawatts immediately after Sunday's attack to 1,550 megawatts, of which 50 megawatts are reserved for essential facilities and factories.
"We can say, without any exaggeration, that within 24 to 48 hours, we managed to increase our production capacity by 50 percent," Ahmed said, adding that the electricity currently available covers only 40 percent of the Region's demand, leaving a 60 percent shortfall.
The attack is a major setback for the KRG's Runaki initiative, which had brought round-the-clock electricity to 85 percent of the Kurdistan Region before the strike. The Sunday attack is the second major attack the field has suffered in less than a year, with a late November 2025 attack knocking the field out of service for a week.
The Sunday night attack on Khor Mor, located in Sulaimani province's Chamchamal district, struck a gas storage and truck-loading facility, causing a large fire and forcing the suspension of gas production. UAE-based operator Dana Gas said the fire was extinguished without injuries, but production remained halted.
Residents in areas outside Runaki were also receiving close to 20 hours of public electricity daily, according to Ahmed. The shutdown has forced authorities to rely again on private neighborhood generators.
Ahmed said the shutdown resulted in the loss of between 2,300 and 2,500 megawatts of electricity generation capacity, leaving the remaining grid under severe pressure.
He explained that ministry engineers had prevented the sudden loss of production from causing a complete collapse of the electricity grid.
"If, God forbid, a total blackout had occurred, even the remaining 1,000 megawatts would not have returned to normal within 72 hours," he said.
The shortage created instability in voltage levels and electricity frequency, requiring continuous intervention to keep the system operational.
To compensate, authorities activated alternative electricity sources, including gas-fired units in Khurmala, a generating unit in Duhok, and a heavy fuel oil-powered unit at the Khabat steam power station that had been undergoing maintenance.
Hydropower units at the Dukan and Darbandikhan dams were also brought into operation.
Ahmed said these emergency measures allowed the ministry to increase public electricity supply from approximately four hours immediately after the attack to six to eight hours daily, reaching nine hours in some areas.
However, he stressed that the situation remains difficult and that electricity distribution schedules are being coordinated by local control centers to maintain fairness between neighborhoods.
Asked about reports that Dana Gas was demanding security guarantees before restarting operations, Ahmed said the matter was outside the electricity ministry's authority.
"Every power station and every facility needs some form of security guarantee, particularly there, where it is certainly necessary," he said.
He added that the KRG's relevant ministries remained in contact with Dana Gas and federal authorities, but no date had been established for production to resume.
"Until this moment, to be accurate, we cannot say on which day it will resume," he said.
Ahmed also dismissed suggestions that electricity exports to federal Iraq had contributed to the shortages.
"Right now, that percentage is zero," he said, explaining that electricity was sold to federal Iraq only when production exceeded domestic demand.
"As long as all of Kurdistan does not have 24-hour electricity, we will not allow that," he added.
Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi ordered a joint investigation with Kurdistan Region authorities following the attack. An Iraqi investigative committee, comprising security officials and technical experts, subsequently visited the field to gather evidence.
Zaidi has instructed investigators to complete their findings promptly and vowed legal action against those responsible.
The investigation has also prompted disagreement between Iraqi and Kurdish officials over responsibility for the strike.
On Wednesday, Basim al-Badri, head of Iraq's National Security Service, suggested during a discussion at London's Chatham House that the attack could be connected to internal political disputes in the Kurdistan Region, raising the possibility of involvement by a Kurdish party or an external actor.
Ahmed Mufti, the Kurdistan Region's deputy minister of natural resources, rejected the suggestion during a separate discussion at Chatham House.
"Who would burn their own house? Why would I go and cut the electricity on my people and LPG?" he asked.
On Thursday, Iraq's National Security Service clarified that Badri had raised “hypothetical possibilities” rather than formally accusing a Kurdish party, stressing that responsibility could only be established through evidence and the investigation's findings.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Meanwhile, Ahmed said the electricity ministry would continue efforts to secure alternative fuel supplies and increase generation capacity from facilities not dependent on Khor Mor.
"We assure people that we will do everything within our capabilities to increase electricity generation, using the resources available to us," he said.
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