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Quick update on the top stories... Nine killled, 15 injured in power plant explosion in central India. QSCCB hosts seminar on psychological resilience and smart coexistence in times of crisis.

Vietnam and Russia Monday signed a co-operation agreement on the construction of Vietnam's first nuclear power plant, Russia's Rosatom nuclear agency said Monday.Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh was visiting energy-rich Russia as Vietnam seeks to shore up its fuel reserves at a time of disruption to energy supplies caused by the war in the Middle East, sparking fears of fuel shortages around the world.Since the US-Israeli war against Iran began in late February, the cost of 95-octane petrol and diesel in Vietnam, a manufacturing hub, has soared by 50% and 70% respectively.The agreement lays out the legal framework for the construction of two reactors with a total output of 2,400MW at Vietnam's proposed Ninh Thuan nuclear power plant, Rostam said.Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev said the agreement would be the "foundation for a long-term industrial partnership, which will strengthen Vietnam's energy independence and open up new opportunities for economic growth".No timeline was given for when construction would start or when the plant might come online.Moscow and Hanoi had initially agreed to build the Ninh Thuan 1 atomic power station back in 2010, but later decided to suspend construction.Another agreement between Russia's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) producer Novatek and a Vietnamese buyer was also signed recently, Novatek's CEO Leonid Mikhelson said Monday."We have been in negotiations with potential buyers for over five years, and have very recently signed a preliminary supply agreement with one of them. We are ready to commence deliveries at the earliest opportunity," he told state broadcaster Rossiya 24, without naming the customer.Russia and Vietnam have also signed a deal on oil and gas production in both countries, the TASS state news agency reported, citing Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, without giving details. 

Nebras Energy (formerly Qatar Electricity and Water Company), through one of its subsidiaries, has won two contracts to develop natural gas-fired combined-cycle gas turbine (CCGT) power plants in Oman.The Misfah Power Plant with a total capacity of 1,700 MW, and the Duqm Power Plant with a total capacity of 877 MW, is for a period of 20 years.Under the agreements signed with the Oman Power and Water Procurement Company (Nama), Nebras Energy secured a 49% stake in the Misfah Power Plant project, alongside a consortium that includes Emirates Water and Electricity Company (44%) and Bahwan Infrastructure Services (7%).The company also secured a 30% stake in the Duqm Power Plant project, in partnership with a consortium consisting of Emirates Water and Electricity Company (30%), Korean Western Power Co. Ltd. (35%), and Bahwan Infrastructure Services (5%).Construction works for both projects will begin this month, with initial commercial operation expected in April 2028, and full commercial operation in April 2029."We are pleased to be an active part of the efforts to develop power sector projects in our sister nation, Oman, given the crucial role this sector plays in promoting social and economic development. We are fully confident that these two projects will significantly contribute to meeting the growing electricity demand in the sultanate, in addition to creating many job opportunities for Omani talents," said His Excellency Saad bin Sherida al-Kaabi, Minister of State for Energy Affairs and Chairman of Nebras Energy.Mohammed bin Nasser al-Hajri, managing director and chief executive officer of Nebras Energy, said winning these two projects was a qualitative achievement for the company’s efforts and represents an important expansion of its presence in the Omani energy market."This will support the company’s strategy to enhance its asset base through technological and market diversification by investing in projects with strong economic viability," he added.Nebras Energy is the new identity of Qatar Electricity and Water Company, one of the leading companies in electricity generation and water desalination in the Middle East and North Africa region. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.