Georgia’s Enguri hydropower plant has launched an emergency procurement process for repairs following the shutdown of one of its five generators. The technical failure has removed 260 MW of capacity from the facility, prompting the operator to request a simplified contract from Georgia’s State Procurement Agency to address equipment risks.
Technical inspections revealed cracks in the 36-millimeter metal lining of the waterway for turbine unit five. Engineers identified a bulge across a 7.5-square-meter section, reporting that static pressure of 40 atmospheres could cause metal fragments to break off. Such debris entering the spiral chamber could result in extensive mechanical damage and prolonged downtime. The defects also pose a flooding risk, as high-pressure water is leaking into the surrounding rock and increasing the load on drainage pumps in the machine hall.
The issue was discovered during maintenance when crews found sand and gravel in the turbine’s spiral chamber. After the waterway was drained on Jan. 30, the source was located 170 meters upstream from the spherical valve. The Enguri plant is Georgia’s primary electricity source, providing roughly 30% of the country’s annual output. During the spring flood season from April–August, the facility’s share of the national energy mix typically increases to 65%–70%.
Management decided to bypass standard tender procedures to ensure the unit is operational before the increase in river flows expected in early April. The operator has selected the firm Spetsenergoremont to perform the work at a cost of 270,139 lari. The company was chosen through market research as the lowest-cost provider capable of meeting the required timeline.
