Asphalt processing plant opens in Rustavi with state support

A new processing plant has been launched in Rustavi, outside capital Tbilisi, in a ₾30 million ($11.34mln) project for producing "high-quality asphalt of a Euro standard", the Ministry of Economy said on Thursday.

The facility will serve the purpose of producing the product used in roads, in response to needs of large-scale road-building projects across Georgia, and has been repurposed from an earlier plant in a state programme.

Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili said the plant complied with current environmental requirements and its impact on the environment was “minimised”.

We may not have all the raw materials, nor do we have large oil resources [in the country], [...] but we can import and process raw materials in Georgia, produce high-tech processes [...] and, in general, create additional value here and contribute to our economy”, he noted. 

This plant “fully meets our economic plans and goals”, the Minister said at the launch of the facility that currently employs 70 individuals, most of them Rustavi residents.