Georgia is planning to fast-track the construction of the 702-megawatt Khudoni hydropower plant to address a sharp rise in electricity imports, according to the Georgian Renewable Energy Development Association (GREDA).
The country has recenty seen its reliance on foreign electricity surge, with imports accounting for 65 percent of domestic consumption last year. Georgia was forced to purchase electricity from all its neighbors (Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Turkey), even though Turkey has historically been a target market for Georgian power exports.
Maia Melikidze, the executive director of GREDA, said that of the three mega-projects proposed in Georgia, Khudoni has the highest probability of moving forward in the near term. The other two large-scale projects, the Nenskra and Namakhvani plants, are currently suspended because of technical and organizational difficulties.
The construction of the Khudoni dam is estimated to take between three and five years. The main barrier to major hydropower developments in Georgia remains opposition from local communities.
To address these conflicts, GREDA has initiated a bill aimed at balancing investor plans with local interests. Parliament is expected to review the legislation under an accelerated procedure to create a legal basis for starting construction and curbing the domestic energy deficit.
