Georgia’s Defense Ministry has objected to the proposed 50 MW Zestaponi–Terjola wind farm, planned by Achar-Energy 2007, a subsidiary of Turkey’s EKSIM Holding. The project includes seven turbines, and the ministry says part of the planned site falls within an area of interest to the country’s defense forces.
The company and its director, Çağatay Ülker, were mentioned in the case involving former State Security Service chief Grigol Liluashvili. Prosecutors alleged in December 2025 that Liluashvili received a $1 million bribe through former Deputy Minister Romeo Mikautadze in exchange for signing relevant memorandums. The case materials remain classified, and the memorandums are still in force.
The Defense Ministry says the project should proceed only under an alternative turbine layout and requires contractual provisions allowing turbines to be temporarily shut down when necessary for national security, including during emergencies or wartime.
The National Environmental Agency has suspended the environmental approval process and given the company two months to submit additional documentation. Other agencies have raised concerns about aviation safety, irrigation infrastructure, railway facilities, mineral resource areas and potential environmental impacts, including risks to wildlife and vegetation.
The company must revise its assessments and provide further documentation before the agency can consider granting environmental approval.
