Georgia boosts imports of Russian electricity to solve Abkhazia’s power deficiency

Georgia has temporarily increased the amount of electricity it imports from Russia to solve the current power deficiency in its breakaway Abkhazia region.

At a press briefing this afternoon Georgia’s Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze said importing power from Russia was the quickest short-term solution to resolving Abkhazia’s power woes and avoid possible "hard consequences” after electricity problems emerged several weeks ago.

Less rain and increased power consumption in Abkhazia meant a lower than normal water level at the Inguri Dam – a hydroelectric dam at the de facto border of Georgia and the breakaway region from where Abkhazia received its electricity supply.

For the past three weeks Abkhazia has enforced a special power rationing schedule where supply was cut off two hours each day and three hours per night.

"But decreasing of power usage didn’t solve the deficiency and our citizens in Abkhazia faced a serious threat of being left without electricity,” Minister Kaladze said.

He added it was the "political responsibility” of the Georgian Government to take care of all of its citizens, whether they were in occupied Abkhazia or in the rest of Georgia.

"Abkhazia’s territory is not under the central Government’s jurisdiction but Georgia, international law and global community consider the occupied regions of our country as integral parts of Georgia. Therefore it is the Government’s political responsibility to take equal care of each of its citizen,” Kaladze said.

"This is our good will and firm position,” he added.

The Minister noted importing increased amounts of power from Russia "somewhat regulated the situation” but this still was only a temporary solution to the problem.

"A long-term solution is much more difficult and it needs thorough, lengthy work,” Kaladze added.

The Inguri Dam is located on the Georgian-controlled territory while the electricity station is on the Abkhazian side. It is the world's second highest concrete arch dam.

Georgia provides Abkhazia with power for free but this winter the dam didn’t produce enough energy to meet the increased demand. Georgia, who imported a portion of its power supply from Russia in winter, decided to increase the amount it imported to ensure Abkhazia was sufficiently powered too.