Deputy Economy Minister: 2022 “record year” without water spillage from hydroelectric plants, every cubic metre used for electricity generation

2022 has been a “record year”, the first year without the waste of falling water from hydroelectric power plants and with “every” cubic metre used to generate electricity, Romeo Mikautadze, Georgia’s Deputy Economy Minister said on Saturday at a dedicated event celebrating the Energy Workers Day.

Mikautadze said the electrical energy data of the past eight months showed that the local electricity generation reached up to 10 billion kWh, which was 23 percent higher compared to the same period of the previous year and 13 percent higher than in 2018, when the “peak” of the output had been recorded, and added that the local consumption has also been higher by eight percent than the last year’s mark.

The Deputy Minister noted the increase in electricity consumption in the modern era has been directly proportional to “prosperity, progress and development”, and said providing the country's population and business sector with “safe, clean and affordable energy” has been one of the main preconditions for Georgia’s development, adding that the main goal was to ensure the country's energy security, availability of “adequate and reliable energy sources”.

Reviewing the current situation in the energy sector of Georgia, the Deputy Minister focused on the electric energy balance of the country and noted that more than two-thirds of the local generation came from hydroelectric plants, and according to the data of the current year, the share of hydroelectric plants in the total output has reached 82 percent, in which almost 42 percent has come from regulating stations.

Mikautadze also highlighted that 2022 has been the first year when the connecting line Meskheti with Türkiye has been “fully loaded”, carrying out both transit and export, adding that two thermal and one wind power plants have also been added as the new energy facilities to the country’s energy system.

In response to the ongoing global initiatives in terms of mitigating the impact of climate change, as well as improving the quality of Georgia's energy security, special importance is attributed to the utilisation of abundant renewable energy resources in the country, especially hydro resources, and the further development of projects in this field. During 2022, we have signed 61 memorandums of understanding with the investors, which means investing up to $704 million in the country and potentially adding 1.6 billion kWh to local generation annually. It is particularly pleasant that the interest in the construction of solar and wind power plants is increasing", said the Deputy Minister.

Mikautadze also said the Energy Development Fund, in cooperation with the investor company, started a pilot project of green hydrogen production, which would be the “energy of the future” and added Georgia had the ambition to adopt not only hydro and other “already well-proven” and established green energies, but also innovative ones.

The Deputy Minister, with the Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili, congratulated the energy workers on their professional day and took part in a ceremony awarding meritorious and veteran workers with a certificate of appreciation.