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ePaper created 2015-09-21, 18:58:58 | version 1.33.0
15 Georgia: One of the world’s leading hydroelectric producers As one of the world’s top five countries in per-capita water resources, Georgia is blessed with countless waterways of myriad sizes and types. Yet only 18% of waterways harbouring high electrical-generating capacity have been developed, leaving most of this abundance untapped. Hundreds of Georgia’s 26,000 rivers - with a greenfield-site hydropower plant (HPP) potential of 20 TWh - remain undeveloped. Traditionally, Georgians have been aware of this rich natural capital – hydrological data have been researched and measured for decades, and provide a unique and reliable basis for planning certainty in the hydropower sector. The share of hydropower in Georgia’s total electricity generation has been steadily rising in recent years (from 85% in 2004 to 92% in 2011). Since 2006, electricity production from hydropower plants has increased by almost 40%, while thermal power plant production has decreased by 55%. The goal of the Georgian Government in the coming years is to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable resources. To achieve this target, projects are currently underway to construct an additional 40 HPPs designed to deliver a total installed capacity equivalent of 1,878 MW and annually generate 7423gWh. Exporting energy Georgia has become a regional energy hub, serving the growing energy needs of developing economies across the region by delivering safe and reliable low-carbon energy exports. Thanks to the construction of export infrastructure, clean Georgian hydropower promotes growth and the environment throughout the entire region, and provides a gateway to business opportunities beyond the nation’s borders. High-voltage transmission lines connect Georgia to all four neighbouring countries, with an additional high- capacity line (500/400 KV) to Turkey scheduled for completion in mid-2012. This Black Sea Transmission Network Project (BSTNP) envisages adding up to 300 km of high-voltage line across southern Georgia to connect the Georgian transmission grid to the Turkish grid. This will allow Georgia to export an additional 700 MW of electricity to its Turkish neighbours.