Prime Minister: Georgia aims to become regional leader in green energy production

Georgia’s energy potential was in focus of a high level meeting in Brussels, Belgium today.

Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili spoke of his country's ongoing energy projects and resources yet to be used when he met the European Union (EU) Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy, Miguel Arias Canete.

The Prime Minister stressed his country’s recent energy sector development and its aspirations for integration into the Energy Community. In this regard, Kvirikashvili said Georgia’s ambition was to become the "most attractive” energy market in the region.

Kvirikashvili said the Georgian Government encouraged renewable energy projects and aimed to become a regional leader in green energy production.

• The Prime Minister said currently there were 114 ongoing renewable projects in Georgia. The approximated investment amount for these was $6.4 billion USD. Construction works were scheduled to finish between 2016 and 2025.

Special attention was drawn to Georgia’s Energy Ministry and Energy Development Fund’s (GEDF) joint efforts to develop the first pilot wind project, which had an installed capacity of 20 MW.

• Currently, the project was at the licensing stage and according to the schedule, construction will launch in the first quarter of this year.

The sides also talked about the expansion of the South Caucasus Pipeline that was part of the Shah Deniz Full Field Development project. This expansion involved the laying of a new pipeline across Azerbaijan and the construction of two new compressor stations in Georgia.

• The PM said this would triple the gas volumes exported through the pipeline to over 20 billion cubic meters per year.

Kvirikashvili’s meeting with the Commissioner was part of the Prime Minister’s two-day visit to Brussels. This was Kvirikashvili’s first Belgium visit in the role of Prime Minister of Georgia.