EBRD, Green Climate Fund offer €26mln for first waste treatment plant in Tbilisi
A loan agreement was signed between the Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili and Alkis Vryenios Drakinos, the Regional Director of the EBRD for the Caucasus. Photo: Ministry of Finance
Tweet 
Share
The Georgian capital city of Tbilisi will have its first waste treatment plant to improve solid waste management and disposal thanks to a new €26 million funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Green Climate Fund.
The Ministry of Finance said a loan agreement was signed on Tuesday between the Finance Minister Lasha Khutsishvili and Alkis Vryenios Drakinos, the Regional Director of the EBRD for the Caucasus.
This project aims to elevate Tbilisi to European standards, ensuring environmental protection and enhancing citizens’ health”, Khutsishvili said.
Delighted to sign a #Loan #Agreement with @EBRD for #Tbilisi #Waste #Treatment Project, securing allocation of €26M, marking yet another milestone in our ???? to elevate Tbilisi to European standards by ensuring #environmental #protection & #enhancing #citizens' #health. pic.twitter.com/3fjWX6Lx4g
— Lasha Khutsishvili ???????? (@Lasha_Khutsish) February 20, 2024
In his turn, Drakinos said the Bank has been cooperating with the city and the Ministry of Finance to implement “several important” projects to “help make Tbilisi greener”.
Today, we are delighted to be making another pivotal step towards improving the city’s infrastructure and its people’s wellbeing”, he said.
Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze added the new project would “lay the foundation” for separation in waste collection and treatment in Georgia, calling it a “very important” step forward for locals and for the environment.
The EBRD said the Tbilisi Waste Processing Project would prioritise the redirection of waste away from the sanitary landfill for comprehensive waste treatment, including mechanical and biological treatment and recovery of recyclable materials.
This will help to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions - by 72 percent compared to the baseline - and improve the overall environment in the city”, the Bank said.
The construction of the waste treatment plant in Tbilisi will be supported with €22 million from the EBRD and up to €4 million from the Green Climate Fund - the latter established through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The project will be implemented by Tbilisi City Hall through Tbilservice Group, a cleaning and waste management company.
The fourth and final stage of the renovation of the Enguri hydropower plant, Georgia’s largest electricity producing facility, is starting in the country’s north-west with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Union.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has allocated €19 million for better waste management and disposal in western Georgia’s Black Sea region of Adjara, the Bank said on Monday.
What should manufacturers in Georgia know?
All manufacturers in Georgia who place a product onto the market will be obliged to reduce negative environmental impact that may follow its production, use, waste recovery or disposal.
The Czech Development Agency will help Georgia develop management capabilities for chemical waste and create proper legislation, announces Georgia’s Ministry of Environment Protection and Agriculture.