Georgia Plans to Extend Hydropower Export

Georgia plans to extend its electricity export capacities for economic development. The Government of Georgia plans on using the area that lies between Turkey and Caucasia which leads to the East European and Middle Eastern markets to become a strong regional exporter of electricity.

The Inguri Dam, with a 1300 MW power capacity functioning from 2007, meets more than 50% of Georgia’s electricity requirements, Georgia is already an electricity exporter with plans of exporting another 1800 MW from the total 4400 MW electricity production mainly to its neighbor Turkey. This untapped hydropower potential would help to create around 10,000 new job opportunities and also double the gross internal product in ten years.

For this purpose 20 hydropower plants would be built over the next five years. EBRD (European Bank for Reconstruction and Development) has granted a loan of € 20 million  for this project.