Georgia’s energy regulator GNERC is still investigating the nationwide blackouts on July 24–25, with its final findings not yet public. Energy expert Archil Mamatalashvili told BMGTV’s “Tsertili” that the outages could have been prevented, pointing to possible failures in backup protection systems and reserve capacity.
According to Enguri HPP management, the excitation systems and voltage regulators of four generators did not respond properly during the incidents. Mamatalashvili said the investigation must establish why multiple units failed simultaneously and why automatic recovery and frequency-control mechanisms did not prevent a nationwide outage.
He said Enguri HPP and the Georgian State Electrosystem bear primary responsibility for grid stability. While Georgia’s power system can operate independently, its relatively small size makes it more vulnerable to major outages when disconnected from neighboring systems. Maintaining sufficient reserves, upgrading equipment and improving coordination are essential to preventing similar incidents.
Mamatalashvili said the final investigation should clarify the technical causes, identify any operational or maintenance failures, and explain why the protection system did not work. He also stressed that Georgia’s growing share of renewable energy invests in modernizing the grid increasingly important. A technical failure would make sabotage less likely, he noted, but responsibility should not be assigned before the findings are published.
