Concerns over possible damage to the units of the Enguri Hydropower Plant have not been confirmed, according to the facility’s technical director Gia Khubua. Speaking to BMG, Khubua said testing showed that the issue was related not to the plant’s generators, but to the system’s emergency automation mechanisms.
“The testing showed that the concerns regarding Enguri HPP’s units were not confirmed. The units have nothing to do with the issue — none of them are damaged, and all are operating,” Khubua said, adding that no unit has been shut down due to a failure or damage for the past two years.
According to Khubua, the problem is linked to the emergency automation system responsible for maintaining the stability of the electricity network during critical situations. He said that system-wide blackouts are complex events and that specialists are still analyzing the test results to determine the exact cause.
“Something has changed and disrupted a process that had remained stable for 10 years. The issue appears to be in the emergency automation system, but the stability of the entire power system is a very complex matter,” Khubua said.
Georgia has experienced three major electricity outages in the past two weeks, including blackouts on July 24-25 and August 6 that affected Tbilisi and several regions. Investigations into the causes of the outages are being carried out by the State Security Service and the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC).
