Georgia to supply breakaway region with electricity
By Gvantsa Gabekhadze
Friday, March 13
Georgia’s Energy Minister Kakhi Kaladze says that Georgia’s government and Abkhazia are in fruitful negotiations concerning energy-related issues.
The minister claims that the key topic of the negotiations is Enguri hydro power station (HPP), which was built on the Enguri River and is the most powerful of its kind in the South Caucasus, and remains Europe’s largest.
Kaladze stresses that the power station will be closed for several months and the Georgian government will supply the population of the occupied region with electricity.
Enguri station, built in 1984, straddles both Georgian and Abkhazian territory, and supplies Georgia with half of its energy production, or some 4.5 million kilowatt hours per year.
Its dam is 800 meters long and 271.5 meters high, and is the tallest “arch dam” in the world and the most massive structure in the Caucasus.
The reservoir, when full, has a maximum capacity of 1.1 billion cubic meters and is capable of generating 1,300 megawatts per hour.
But today, Enguri produces just 40 percent of its potential output due to its poor condition. The facility requires rehabilitation.
“Part of the rehabilitation activities have been completed, and we plan the dam rehabilitation for 2016, it will be a large job and the closure of the facility for several months will be inevitable,” the minister said.
“All the rehabilitation activities that have been conducted or will be completed are funded from the state budget. When the facility is closed, we will supply locals with electricity,” Kaladze said.
Minister for Civil Equality and Reconciliation Paata Zakareishvili confirms regular meetings of Georgians and Abkhazians over Enguri HPP related topics.
“It is one of the most sustainable and fruitful series of meetings between Georgians and Abkhazians.”
“The outcome of the negotiations is that we have electricity and the power station works in a non-stop regime. Very competent people have been involved in the negotiations for the last 21 years,” he said.
