Wind power plant opens in Georgia
By Tea Mariamidze
Friday, October 7
About $34 million USD was invested in the building of the first wind power plant in Georgia, which was opened in Gori yesterday.
The new Kartli Wind Power Plant was funded by the Georgian Energy Development Fund (GEDF), a joint stock company established by the Government of Georgia together with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which provided a loan of $24 million for the project. The remaining $10 million was allocated by the GEDF and Georgia’s Oil and Gas Corporation.
The wind plant has a capacity of 20.7 MW and it is expected to annually generate 88GW of power. The plant consists of six aggregates and each unit has a capacity of 3.45 MW.
According to Georgia’s Energy Ministry, the wind power plant is one of the world's best stations with its specifications and characteristics.
The plant is moving into a testing phase this month, and will become fully operational in December. A total of 200 people were employed in the construction process. For running the operational process, 20 people will be trained and employed.
The Kartli wind power plant will contribute to the government's strategy-development of low emission generation and providing the country with wind energy in winter.
“We will support the development of such projects. Our country’s resources are geared towards full energy independence and fulfilling our obligations undertaken before Europe,” Georgia’s Energy Minister Ilia Eloshvili stated, and thanked everyone involved in creating the project and for implementing it successfully.
Georgia’s Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili also delivered a speech at the opening ceremony. He thanked Georgia’s former energy minister Kakha Kaladze, who started the implementation of this project.
“Today we have a modern wind power plant, which will operate using an alternative energy source. With its specific features and characteristics, the power plant is one of the best in the world,” the PM stated.
Kvirikashvili underlined that the wind power plant would enable Georgia to partly meet the country’s electricity demands in winter.
“It is very economic, ecologically friendly and safe for our people,” the PM added.
