Page 61 - GEORptApr21

Georgia to complete refurbishment of main hydropower plant in May
more than three months repeatedly called on the Turkish hydropower investor to leave the gorge, as well as on the government to annul orders granting ownership rights and construction licences on the territory.
The Namakhvani project encompasses two separate HPPs of 333 MW and 100 MW on the Rioni River. The government hopes to enhance Georgia’s energy security and employ up to 1,600 Georgians thanks to a foreign direct investment in the amount of $800mn.
Turnava, after talks with the foreign investor, Turkey’s Enka Renewables, gave assuarances that solutions to diffuse tensions over the project have been agreed.
According to the agreement reached, Enka reportedly agreed to appoint a Georgian manager for the project in order to improve the communication with the activists and local population. In addition, an independent board will be set up to oversee the project.
Secondly, and most importantly, Turnava announced that Enka Renewables will amend the project as needed, if the expert committee charged with verifying the project as it stands now comes to the conclusion that changes should be made. It remains unclear, however, whether and under what circumstances the investor agreed with this.
According to the agreement reached with the investor, the construction of the Namakhvani HPP dam and reservoir will not start until the studies are verified, Turnava said.
According to the minister, if the additional studies reveal the need to make changes in the project scheme, the investor will implement these changes. "Let's postpone the most critical part for the investor, which is the 105-metre dam and the creation of a 530-hectare reservoir, which is the most difficult part of the project, technically. Local scientific organisations, experts and NGOs trusted by all parties will verify the project,” she said.
Turnava added that Enka Renewables would take the risk of the supplementary costs involved in such modifications.
The government awarded Enka and Norway’s Clean Energy Group the right to develop, construct, own and operate the Namakhvani HPP Cascade in the Imereti and Lechkhumi provinces in 2019.
The project encompasses two separate HPPs on the Rioni River, the longest river that flows solely within Georgia: the Lower Namakhvani HPP (333 MW) and the Upper Namakhvani HPP (100 MW). The construction was scheduled to take place between March 1 this year and July 31, 2024.
Georgia is striving to boost its power generation capacity, which lags behind rising consumption, by building several HPPs. While many of the HPP projects are facing environmental and cultural heritage problems, the country’s power shortage is widening, something which could eventually force the development of alternative solutions.
Unless Georgia develops its hydropower capacities, the country will need imports to cover half of electricity usage within 10 years, Turnava argued.
Enguri hydropower plant (HPP), the largest electricity producer in Georgia, which also supplies the Russian-occupied region of Abkhazia, is to restart in early May following a refurbishment aimed at expanding its capacity, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has announced. As a result of the renovation of the Enguri HPP diversion tunnel, water losses will be reduced by 30% to 35%. That should mean an additional 100mn kWh of electricity generation per year.
The €42mn renovation of the HPP, the first such operation performed in more than 20 years, started in January.
A total of €7mn of the project cost will be met by the European Commission in
61 GEORGIA Country Report April 2021 www.intellinews.com