We must accelerate the pace and build as many hydropower plants as possible in Georgia, - Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili declared before the government meeting and noted, that he has instructed the Minister of Economy and the Minister of Finance to present the final model for the investment in the construction of hydropower plants.
According to him, small, medium or large HPPs must be built.
“I have instructed the Minister of Economy and the Minister of Finance to present the final model in the next few days. And I think next week I will have the opportunity to make this proposal to the business to facilitate construction of these hydropower plants as soon as possible.
Our demand for electricity is growing from year to year. Consumption is increasing. At this time, generation is significantly behind the demand, which, puts our country at great risk, energy security and energy independence in general, so in this regard, next week we will have a presentation and propose this package to businesses," Gharibashvili said.
Asked who is responsible for the termination of Namakhvani project worth of USD 800 million, Economy Minister Levan Davitashvili declares that "various parties" have responsibilities in this regard, including the group , who have been opposed to the construction of the HPP and the investor company itself.
"As for Namakhvani, it is unfortunate that we have to talk about the delay of another project and this is probably a shared responsibility from many different parties. I am not talking here that there has been a single problem. There has been lack of communication from the investor, as well as excessive and irresponsible actions by some groups, which have a negative impact on the continuation of the project and posed some risks to the Georgian state. However, I think that eventually this project should be implemented, but it should be implemented properly, to have more communication with the population. I think that there already have been a lot of discussions and issues related to this project and many questions are answered, "- said Levan Davitashvili.
The Namakhvani HPP was one of the largest energy projects in the history of independent Georgia.
However, ecologists and local residents were strongly opposed to the construction of the power plant, fearing that a project of such a size would increase the seismic activity, change the local microclimate and damage local villages.
Over a half year-long protest against the construction of the Namakhvani Hydropower Plant project took place last year and participants of the rally, led by Varlam Goletiani, the leader of Rioni Gorge Defender’s civic movement demanded from the government to abolish “anti-state” contract.
On the background of the protest, Turkish contractor company ENKA Renewables LLC, who had intended to construct the Namakhvani hydro power plant on the Rioni river in western Georgia, notified the government of Georgia that it was terminating the USD 800 million project in the country.
The statement published by the company read that the reason for the cancellation of the contract with the Georgian government was the violation of the terms of the contract and force majeure.
