Zaza Pachulia, the former Golden State Warriors center and two-time NBA champion, has received government approval to develop a small hydropower project in Georgia. The project will be located on the Riceula River in the mountainous Racha region of western Georgia. Pachulia’s company, Sadmeli HPP LLC, will manage the construction and operation of the facility.
The station is designed with an installed capacity of 2.7 megawatts and is expected to produce 19.2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity annually. Under the current agreement, the facility must enter commercial operation by September 30, 2027. This project forms part of Georgia’s broader effort to utilize its river systems for decentralized energy production.
The Georgian government has provided the company with a 49-year lease for a state-owned land plot in the Ambrolauri district. While the land remains under state ownership, the investor is required to pay an annual rent of 18,973 lari (approximately 7,000 dollars). The legal framework for the development was established in late 2025 following a tripartite agreement between the government, the national electricity system operator, and the investment company.
Pachulia became the sole owner of Sadmeli HPP LLC in June 2025 after purchasing the entity for 450,000 dollars. The project is independent of a larger 153-megawatt infrastructure plan on the Rioni River previously proposed by Turkish firm Calik Enerji. The new facility will focus on micro-generation on the Riceula River, which serves as a tributary to the Rioni.
The investment in renewable energy follows Pachulia’s transition into business after his retirement from professional basketball in 2019. Since finishing his career and completing a program at Harvard Business School, he has diversified his assets into several sectors. His current portfolio includes a large basketball academy in Tbilisi, two hotels, and interests in sports technology and apparel manufacturing.
