Page 56 - GEORptFeb21

Georgian state energy company to build third Gardabani thermal power station
Renovation of the Inguri HPP tunnel was postponed three times: first, the repair was planned for 2018, then for 2019. The next deadline was set for March 2020.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) allocated a loan of €28mn for renovating the HPP in 2018. In addition, last year the EBRD allocated an additional €10mn.
State-owned Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation (GOGC) is to build a 272MW thermal power plant at an estimated cost of $174.8mn ($144.8mn), not including taxes.
GOGC will sign a contract with Turkish company Chalik Energy for the construction of the station, Business Media announced, quoting data from the state procurement agency.
According to the data available, the contract was awarded after a competitive procedure. From the minutes of the meeting of the tender commission of the corporation, it is seen that there were 18 international bidders, including Mistubishi, Tata Power Enka and Chalik Energy.
The new thermal power plant will be built on land owned by the company, near the existing thermal power plants Gardabani 1 and Gardabani 2. It is scheduled to be commissioned in 2023. Gardabani 1 was built by Chalik Energy for $230mn.
The construction of Gardabani Thermal Power Plant 2 began in 2018, with the corporation investing $180mn. The station was completed in 2019 and in March this year market regulator GNERC issued its licence. The general contractor for the oil and gas corporation in the project was Chinese company China Tianchen Engineering Corporation (TCC).
9.1.12 ​Utilities sector news
Georgia’s electricity consumption down 5.5% in 2020
Electricity, gas prices rise sharply in Georgia
Electricity generation and consumption in Georgia dropped by 5.8% and 5.5%, respectively, in 2020, in line with lower economic activity. According to the Georgian electricity market operator "Esco", total generation last year amounted to 11.16 TWh, equivalent to 5.8% less than in 2019, when total output was 11.86 TWh.
Production decreased particularly at the county's hydropower plants, which account for the largest part of total generation.
The amount of electricity generated by Georgia's thermal power plants edged down by less than 1% to 2.82TWh. In the case of the hydropower plants, the reduction was measured at nearly 7.7% for a total of 8.25 TWh, accounting for nearly 70% of the electricity generation.
The electricity generated by the Kartli wind farm increased from 84.7mn kWh to 90.8mn kWh year on year, amounting to 0.8% of total generation. Electricity consumption decreased by 5.5% to 12.41 TWh, down from 13.15 TWh in 2019.
Georgian companies, excepting bakeries and, to an extent, food producers, are to pay 28% more for natural gas and 70% more on average for electricity. ​Market regulator GNERC has approved requests for the hikes filed by the energy distribution companies.
The gas hike, which the government attempted to prevent in December, from Georgian lari (GEL) 0.86 to GEL1.1 per cubic metre, is to be charged to companies (households pay a subsidised price) except for bakeries. The higher prices were explained by the weaker local currency and exchange rate losses incurred since the last price correction.
56​ GEORGIA Country Report​ February 2021 ​ ​www.intellinews.com