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Tens of thousands of people were left without power and heating in southern Ukraine after Russian attacks on the frontline city of Kherson and Ukraine’s largest seaport, Odesa, authorities and a top energy provider said Thursday. Russia has sharply increased its attacks on Ukraine’s energy and utilities sector as winter approaches, plunging swathes of cities and regions into darkness. State oil and gas firm Naftogaz said a heat and power plant in the southern city of Kherson had been “almost completely destroyed.” Regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said the attack left 40,500 customers without heat. “This is a purely civilian facility providing heat to residents,” Naftogaz CEO Sergii Korteskyi wrote on X. “Such targeted bombing is terrorism.” Kherson, a frontline city that was for several months occupied by Russian forces after Moscow’s invasion in February 2022, comes under Russian missile, drone and artillery attack on an almost daily basis. Separately, Ukrainian energy company DTEK said Thursday that Russia attacked its energy facility in the southern Odesa region overnight, leaving 51,800 households without power. In Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region, where Russian forces are grinding forward in the battlefield, attacks left about 60,000 residents without power, Kyiv’s energy ministry said. 

Under the patronage of Syria’s President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Syria’s Minister of Energy Mohammed al-Basheer laid the foundation stone announcing the start of construction works for the Deir Ezzor Power Plant with a capacity of approximately 1,000 MW.This project comes as part of a series of projects – with a total capacity of 5,000MW – that were recently signed and will be implemented by an international consortium led by the Qatari company UCC Urbacon, with the participation of Cengiz (Turkiye), Kalyon (Turkiye), and Power International (the US).This national event reflects the beginning of a new phase in which the country moves toward rebuilding the energy sector and strengthening its electrical security.The minister was accompanied at the ceremony by Omar Shaqrouq, Deputy Minister of Energy for Electricity Affairs, representatives of the international coalition led by UCC Urbacon, the Governor of Deir Ezzor Ghassan Ahmed, local community figures, and a number of directors from the coalition companies and officials from the Ministry of Energy.This strategic project represents a decisive step in the State’s efforts to turn the page on years of severe electricity shortages and move toward a more reliable and sustainable electrical system capable of meeting the needs of citizens and various industrial, commercial, and tourism sectors across the country, thereby driving economic growth.The Deir Ezzor Power Plant is the first and largest of the power plants to be launched under the Independent Power Producer (IPP) programme. Once operational, it is expected to boost the national grid’s production capacity, improve supply stability, and meet the increasing demand for electricity in the eastern region and the rest of the governorates.The launch of the project is expected to have a positive impact on the region and the national economy by creating tens of thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities during both the construction and operational phases. It will also contribute to localising modern, high-efficiency, low-emission technologies, in accordance with international standards, in addition to developing trained and qualified technical personnel.Laying the foundation stone Wednesday, sends a clear message that Syria is entering a new stage of recovery, in which major national capabilities are being rebuilt and strategic energy projects launched that restore Syria’s natural role and regional standing and support sustainable development.Through this event, the State reaffirms its continued commitment to enhancing energy infrastructure, improving quality of life, and opening broader horizons for economic prosperity in the coming years. 

Ukraine struck a heat and power station in the Moscow region Sunday with drones, triggering a major fire and cutting off heating for thousands in one of Kyiv's biggest attacks to date on a power station deep inside Russia.In the fourth year of the deadliest European conflict since World War Two, Russia has been pummelling Ukraine's electricity and heat infrastructure while Kyiv has up until now mostly focused on trying to knock out Russia's oil refineries, crude terminals and pipelines. But early Sunday, Ukrainian drones struck the Shatura Power Station, about 120km east of the Kremlin, Moscow region governor Andrei Vorobyov said.Video footage on Telegram showed balls of flames and black smoke rising into the night sky from the power station. Reuters was able to confirm the location, though not the date of the video. "Some of the drones were destroyed by air-defence forces. Several fell on the territory of the station.A fire broke out at the facility," Vorobyov said. Vorobyov said that backup power had been switched on and that mobile heating systems were being deployed to the area where the temperature was around freezing point. "All efforts are being taken to promptly restore heat supply," Vorobyov said. The town of Shatura has a population of about 33,000.One local resident said that there was no heating. Three transformers at the power station caught fire, the *Kommersant newspaper cited the emergencies ministry as saying. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine.In recent weeks and months, there have been repeated power and heat outages in parts of Ukraine due to Russian attacks. Ukraine has tried to undermine Russia's war economy by targeting its oil revenues.Ukraine has also hit some power and heating installations in Ukrainian regions controlled by Russian forces and in Russian regions neighbouring Ukraine, but has thus far not inflicted major damage on electricity and heat stations serving Moscow and the surrounding region, which has a population of more than 22mn.Russia's defence ministry said Sunday it had downed 75 Ukrainian drones, including 36 over the Black Sea and several over the Moscow region. Russia's Vnukovo airport halted flights Sunday for about an hour before restoring them. The Shatura power station, one of Russia's oldest, was founded under Vladimir Lenin after the Bolshevik revolution, and used to run on peat. It now uses mostly natural gas.

India and Bhutan Tuesday expanded their energy ties during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Himalayan nation where he extended a Rs40bn ($455mn) line of credit and inaugurated a hydroelectric power project.India’s outreach to Bhutan is seen as an effort to grow its influence in the region and draw the country wedged between China and India closer to New Delhi as Beijing steps up its engagement to resolve a long-running border dispute with Bhutan and establish diplomatic relations.Modi is on a two-day visit to the country and Tuesday addressed a gathering to mark the birthday celebrations of Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck’s father. “The partnership of trust and development between India and Bhutan stands as a model for the entire region,” he said. “As both our countries progress rapidly, our energy partnership is further accelerating this growth.”Modi said his visit would deepen ties and that their partnership was a “key pillar” of India’s “neighbourhood first” policy.Later in the day, he inaugurated the India-funded 1,020-megawatt Punatsangchhu-II hydroelectric power project, which he said would increase Bhutan’s hydropower generating capacity by nearly 40%.It is the fifth Indian-backed hydropower project in the country which altogether generate a total of nearly 3,000 megawatts of power. The line of credit extended by India Tuesday is also aimed at funding energy projects, the Indian government said.Lok Nath Sharma, a former minister for energy in Bhutan, said the excess energy will be exported to India after meeting local demand which is about 1,000 megawatts.

Around 100,000 people were still without power in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, Kyiv authorities said Sunday, a day after Russia's latest attacks on energy infrastructure.Moscow, which has escalated attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure in recent months, launched hundreds of drones at energy facilities across the country overnight into Saturday.Some of these strikes affected the Kharkiv region, home to Ukraine's second biggest city, Restoration Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said."Time is needed to restart the equipment. Currently, around 100,000 consumers remain without electricity, water, and heating," Kuleba said.Ukraine's energy minister Svitlana Grynchuk said the wave of attacks, which killed four people, marked "one of the most difficult nights" for Ukrainian energy since the Russian invasion began.In the Poltava region, one of the most affected, power was mostly restored Sunday. But damaged equipment left parts of its main city still in the dark, local authorities said.State energy operator Ukrenergo implemented scheduled power cuts, allowing to balance the system, in most Ukrainian regions.Russia has targeted the power and heating grid throughout its almost four-year invasion, destroying a large part of the key civilian infrastructure.Moscow has switched tactics, striking simultaneously generation facilities, as well as power transmission and distribution systems, said deputy Minister of Energy Artem Nekrasov."This complicates the prompt restoration of normal power supply and the normal operation of the energy system," he said.As with previous waves of attacks, Russia's defence ministry said it struck "enterprises of the Ukrainian military-industrial complex and gas and energy facilities that support their operation."Ukraine has been responding with strikes on Russia's energy and oil facilities.Ukrainian strikes on energy infrastructure have left more than 20,000 people without power in several Russian border regions, local authorities said.Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said the "electricity and heating supply network has suffered severe damage" in the regional capital of the same name."Several streets are affected by power issues... More than 20,000 residents are without electricity," he said on Telegram.In the western Kursk region, "a fire broke out at one of the power plants in the village of Korenevo," cutting power to 10 localities, Governor Alexander Khinshtein said on Telegram.A fire also broke out at a heating facility in the southern Voronezh region, according to Governor Alexander Gusev.Russia's defence ministry, for its part, reported having shot down 44 drones over the border Bryansk region.Moscow launched 69 drones at energy facilities across the country overnight into Sunday, of which 34 were shot down, according to the Ukrainian air force.

The Ministry of Energy in the Syrian Arab Republic today signed the final concession agreements to build and operate eight new power generation stations with a total capacity of 5,000 megawatts, with the international consortium led by Urbacon Holding, through its subsidiary Urbacon Concessions Investment, and in partnership with Kalyon G.I.S. Energy, Cengiz Energy, and Power International (USA). This signing comes as part of the Qatari project package in Syria, and as an extension of the Memorandum of Understanding signed on 29 May 2025, which laid the general framework for strategic cooperation in the energy sector and set the practical foundations for initiating the rehabilitation and development of the country’s electrical infrastructure. Following the signing of the MoU, preparatory engineering and technical works were completed, including field surveys for the plant sites and the necessary technical studies, to enable immediate commencement of implementation.The agreements were signed at the Ministry of Energy headquarters in Damascus between Eng. Mohammad Al-Bashir, Minister of Energy of the Syrian Arab Republic, and Ramez Al-Khayyat, President of UCC Holding, in the presence of representatives of the consortium companies, and officials from the Ministry, the Syrian Energy Company, and the Syrian Electricity Company. This step reflects the transition from contractual, technical, and financial preparation to direct on-ground execution.The final contracts include the construction and operation of four high-efficiency, natural-gas-fired combined-cycle power plants, namely the North Aleppo Power Plant (1,200 MW), the Deir Ezzor Power Plant (1,000 MW), the Zayzoun Power Plant (1,000 MW), and the Mhardeh Power Plant (800 MW). In addition, the agreements include the implementation of solar renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 1,000 MW distributed across four locations: Widian Al-Rabee (200 MW), Deir Ezzor (300 MW), Aleppo (300 MW), and Homs (200 MW).These projects will be executed using the latest advanced technologies in performance, efficiency, and reliability, in accordance with the highest global standards for environmental and public safety considerations, and based on an accelerated implementation schedule that ensures phased commissioning and timely entry into service.This project represents a pivotal stage in rehabilitating Syria’s energy system and driving economic growth, as the availability of stable electricity is essential for restoring factories and production lines to full operational capacity, and for launching new industrial, agricultural, and commercial ventures. It will contribute to reducing operational costs, improving the investment climate, and enhancing the competitiveness of local production and exports, thereby encouraging domestic and international investment and supporting long-term economic diversification.The projects are expected to generate tens of thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities during both the construction and operational phases. Furthermore, the adoption of modern technologies will enable the training and upskilling of national technical personnel, supporting sector sustainability and the localization of expertise in the field of energy.Eng. Mohammad Al-Bashir, Minister of Energy, stated:“This project represents a qualitative leap in the development of Syria’s energy infrastructure. It enhances generation capacity and supports the stability of the electrical grid, aligned with national economic development objectives. These projects aim to close the generation gap, meet the growing demand for electricity, and enhance energy supply security, forming a fundamental base for sustainable economic and social growth, strengthening the performance of productive and service sectors, and enabling stable economic development in the coming years.”Moutaz Al-Khayyat, Chairman of UCC Holding, said:“The strategic partnership between the public and private sectors in this project constitutes an essential step toward building a sustainable development model in Syria, and reflects the confidence of international partners in the prospects of Syria’s economic recovery. We are committed to executing these projects according to the set timelines and the highest global standards, ensuring a tangible economic impact that extends beyond the energy sector to supply chains, industry, and investment flows. Enhancing Syria’s energy security will contribute to the revival of industrial activity, support economic stability, and open broader pathways for regional cooperation in the coming stage.”It is noteworthy that this project represents the first and most prominent integrated public-private partnership model in the Syrian energy sector, reflecting the attractiveness of the national investment environment and its ability to draw international partners. The project is expected to pave the way for further major investments in other key economic and service sectors in the near future.

Russia's Foreign Ministry has commended Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for his efforts in establishing a "calm" around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, following successful international mediation that enabled a safe environment for essential maintenance work. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Moscow had secured security guarantees from Ukraine to restore external power to the facility, an arrangement that had previously been unattainable. Zakharova noted that Russia raised the issue with Grossi, who engaged in intensive mediation efforts. After extended consultations, those efforts resulted in what she described as a "calm regime" that allowed repair work to begin. She also referenced a September 23 incident in which the Dniprovska power station was reportedly struck by Ukrainian forces, cutting off electricity to the nuclear plant and forcing it to rely on backup diesel generators to maintain critical systems. Repair crews began work on October 18, and the restoration of the damaged power line is expected to take several days. Zakharova emphasized Grossi's pivotal role in the process and expressed hope for continued constructive cooperation to ensure the safety and security of nuclear facilities in the region.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced the start of a complex plan to restore power to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) in southern Ukraine after an unprecedented outage lasting nearly four weeks. This comes amid a local ceasefire that has allowed repair work to begin. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on X platform, "Work has begun to repair damaged off-site power lines to ZNPP after a 4-week outage, following the establishment of local ceasefire zones to allow work to proceed. Restoration of off-site power is crucial for nuclear safety and security." Grossi explained that the repair work includes two cables of the 330 kilovolts (kV), which have been disconnected since May 7. Repairs are also due to begin on the damaged section of the 750 kV Dniprovska line, which was disconnected on September 23, causing the ZNPP's complete loss of off-site power. The IAEA reported that the repair work is expected to take about a week, noting that the power plant has been relying on seven emergency diesel generators for four weeks to power the cooling systems necessary to prevent the six shut-down reactors from overheating. Radioactivity levels in the area remain normal, and cooling systems are operating effectively. The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported that its experts are monitoring the situation on the ground, and considered the reconnection of the plant to the Ukrainian grid an essential step to ensuring stability and preventing any nuclear accident. The Russian plant's management also confirmed that the Russian Ministry of Defense is overseeing the safety of the repair teams during the plan's implementation, in coordination with the IAEA monitors deployed at the site. The ZNPP, located near the city of Enerhodar on the banks of the Dnieper River, is the largest nuclear facility in Europe and, before the war, provided about a fifth of Ukraine's electricity needs. The plant has been under Russian control since March 2022 and has since experienced 10 complete grid outages, raising repeated international concerns about the risk of a major nuclear accident.

More than 1 million had suffered power cuts in UkraineTwo killed, 20 people hurt, officials sayTransport delays and blackouts disrupt life in KyivRussia intensifies attacks on Ukraine's energyEmergency crews restored power to many parts of Ukraine after an overnight Russian drone and missile attack on Friday struck energy facilities, plunging large districts of Kyiv and other areas into darkness and cutting water supplies.In the latest mass attack targeting the energy system as winter approaches, electricity was interrupted in nine regions and over a million households and businesses were temporarily without power across the country.In southeastern Ukraine, a seven-year-old was killed when his home was hit and at least 20 people were injured.In Kyiv, an apartment block in the city centre was damaged by a projectile, while on the left bank of the Dnipro that divides the capital, crowds waited at bus stops with the metro out of action. People filled water bottles at distribution points."We didn't sleep at all," said Liuba, a pensioner, as she collected water. "From 2:30 a.m. there was so much noise. By 3:30 we had no electricity, no gas, no water. Nothing."Ukraine's energy ministry said more than 800,000 customers had at one point suffered power cuts in Kyiv.By Saturday morning, the private power company DTEK said electricity had been restored to most of Kyiv residents, but local problems remained. It said power had also been restored in areas outside the capital and in Dnipropetrovsk region in the southeast.Authorities reported Russian attacks in different parts of the country throughout Friday. An official in the northern Chernihiv region said one person was killed when a car belonging to the local energy utility was hit by a drone.Ukrainians are bracing for a tough winter, as the full-scale war launched by Russia's February 2022 invasion nears its fourth anniversary. Russia has intensified attacks on the energy system in recent weeks, striking power plants and gas production facilities, and local authorities are struggling with the scale of repairs."They can't demonstrate anything real on the battlefield... so they will attack our energy sector," President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told reporters in Kyiv.Calling for more support from allies, he said that 203 main energy facilities in the country needed air-defence protection.Energy Minister Svitlana Hrynchuk met G7 ambassadors and representatives of some of Ukraine's biggest energy companies to discuss how allies could help protect the country against further attacks and repair the damage."The blow is strong, but it is definitely not fatal," Zelenskiy said.Speaking later in his nightly video address, he said Putin had deliberately launched the attack when world attention was focused on the "valuable opportunity" to move towards Middle East peace after the ceasefire agreement in Gaza."This marks a new record of Russian depravity, to intensify terrorist strikes and target civilian lives at such a moment," he said.Ukraine's air force said it had downed 405 of 465 drones and 15 of 32 missiles in this attack. Ukraine's stretched air defences are no match for regular barrages on such a scale.According to Zelenskiy, Russia waited for bad weather to attack and the inclement conditions reduced the efficiency of Ukraine's air defences by between 20% and 30%.Russia said its overnight strikes were in response to Ukraine's attacks on Russian civilian facilities.Ukraine regularly launches drone strikes against Russia's military and oil installations, although they are generally on a far smaller scale. Kyiv says it wants to force Moscow to negotiate a peace deal in good faith.For many Kyiv residents, the day started with power cuts, disruptions in the water supply and transport delays."We had no power or water when I left my house. I can't get to work because the subway is not operating and buses are overflowing," Anatoliy, a 23-year-old student, told Reuters.Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said the assault was among the heaviest concentrated strikes on energy infrastructure and reported significant damage.Her deputy, Oleksiy Kuleba, said two million customers in Kyiv temporarily faced problems with water supplies.DTEK said its thermal power plants had suffered significant damage without providing details.

A delegation representing the Gulf Cooperation Council’s Interconnection Authority (GCCIA), along with participants in the "Assessing of Reliability of Renewable Energy Sources in the Cooperation Council Countries" workshop, visited the Al-Kharsaah solar power plant. The plant, which was developed and is operated by Siraj (1), a subsidiary of QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions, is wholly owned by QatarEnergy.The visit came on the sidelines of the workshop organised in Doha by the GCCIA, where participants were given the opportunity to learn about the latest operation, maintenance, and production technologies adopted by Al-Kharsaah solar power plant, the first solar plant in Qatar.The 800-megawatt (MW) Al-Kharsaah solar power plant began supplying electricity to Qatar’s national grid in June 2022. Since then, QatarEnergy has built and operated the Ras Laffan and Mesaieed solar power plants with a combined capacity of 875 MW, doubling Qatar's production capacity to 1,675 MW of renewable electricity. QatarEnergy is currently building the Dukhan solar power plant, which will double Qatar's solar power generation capacity to more than 4,000 MW of renewable energy.QatarEnergy established QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions in 2017 with the purpose of financing, building, operating, and maintaining solar power facilities, and selling electricity generated from solar power within the State of Qatar. QatarEnergy Renewable Solutions owns 60% of Siraj (1) Company.The Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) is the body responsible for the electricity interconnection project among the GCC countries.

HE Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor al-Thani Sunday announced a dramatic return to international power boat racing after an 11-year lay-off from the sport.The former Qatari offshore racer was a regular front-runner in the UIM Class One World Powerboat Championship and the American racing scene until he stopped competing at the end of 2014.His former British throttleman Steve Curtis MBE has continued to compete in the highest echelons of the American offshore racing scene and the duo will join forces for the 44th Annual Offshore World Championship at Key West in Florida on November 2nd-9th.With support from Qatar’s Ministry of Sport and Youth, the duo will revive the legendary Spirit of Qatar 96 racing hull name with a new boat and compete in the Extreme class.“Our last race together was in 2014 but we will be testing during the third week of October before heading to Key West,” enthused Sheikh Hassan.“The goal, of course, will be the podium and to set plans in motion for the 2026 season. It will be a new boat for us to run together but I am sure that Steve and I will settle in quickly.”One of many highlights for the duo during their former association with the Spirit of Qatar Team was obliterating the water speed record with a stunning second run of 244mph at the 26th Annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in central Missouri in 2014.The iconic Key West racing festival is fought out over three races.After the customary parade through the streets of Key West on Sunday, November 2nd, technical checks and registration is scheduled for Monday, November 3rd.Official testing will take place on Tuesday, November 4th with the first of the Extreme races for the Truman Waterfront Cup and the on-water fireworks taking centre stage on Wednesday, November 5th.Further testing is permitted on Thursday, November 6th before the second race for the Southernmost Continental Championship on Friday, November 7th.Numerous spectator-friendly events are planned in Truman Waterfront Park on Saturday, November 8th, before the final race for the Conch Republic Championship rounds off the action on Sunday, November 9th.

QatarEnergy signed an agreement with Samsung C&T's Engineering & Construction Group (Samsung C&T) for the construction of a world-scale solar power plant in Dukhan, about 80 kilometers west of Doha.The Dukhan solar power plant, one of the largest in the world, will be developed in two phases, reaching a total electricity generation capacity of 2,000 megawatts (MW) by mid-2029. Once completed, it will double Qatar’s solar power production capacity, contributing significantly to the country’s renewable energy goals.The agreement was signed by HE the Minister of State for Energy Affairs, Saad Sherida al-Kaabi, who is also the President and CEO of QatarEnergy, and Sechul Oh, President & CEO of Samsung C&T during a special ceremony held at QatarEnergy’s Headquarters in Doha. The event was attended by Abdulla bin Ali Al-Theyab, President of Kahramaa, and senior executives from both companies.Commenting on this occasion, Minister al-Kaabi said: “This agreement is an important milestone in our effort to manage the environment in a manner that balances economic and social development with environmental protection, as stipulated by Qatar National Vision 2030. It also supports one of the key goals of QatarEnergy’s Sustainability Strategy, which is to generate more than 4,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2030.”Al-Kaabi added: “When completed, the Dukhan solar power plant, along with Al-Kharsaah, Mesaieed, Ras Laffan solar power plants will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 4.7mn tons annually, while contributing up to 30% of Qatar’s total peak electricity demand. “We are pleased to collaborate with Samsung C&T to help achieve this vision.”The Dukhan solar power plant will begin the first phase of production by dispatching 1,000MW of power to the KAHRAMAA grid towards the end of 2028. The new plant will utilise a solar tracker system and will enhance efficiency by installing inverters capable of operating flawlessly in a high-temperature environment.