The preliminary findings of the July 25 nationwide power outage investigation damage the reputation of the Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) and portray it as an incompetent organization, said Zurab Mikaia, head of the National Dispatch Center of GSE. He made the statement during a GNERC meeting where the initial results of the investigation into the second major system accident in July were discussed.
Mikaia said that while the findings are only preliminary, their public release creates a negative image of GSE. He questioned what specific actions the regulator believes the company should have taken, noting that GSE had already detected irregularities during a short-term grid disruption on July 4, monitored the situation, and sent a letter to Enguri HPP on July 10 regarding abnormal voltage regulation indicators.
According to Mikaia, GSE does not agree with the assessment that it was responsible for testing Enguri HPP’s generating units. He said network rules do not require GSE to inspect the automatic voltage regulation systems of all power generators, while GNERC representatives argued that GSE had the authority to request such testing when there were concerns about system reliability.
GNERC Chairman Davit Narmania said the preliminary investigation indicates that the July 25 blackout was triggered by an accident on the high-voltage “Imereti” transmission line, after which protection mechanisms failed to operate properly, including those related to Enguri HPP units. Narmania said further assessments by international experts are needed to determine the exact causes, while Sakrusenergo, the owner of the “Imereti” line, will also provide explanations at a future GNERC meeting.
