Increase in electricity production at a wind power plant in Georgia

Wind energy opportunities are being actively implemented in Georgia. The Kartli wind farm, located near the city of Gori in the east of the country, which began its work in 2016, continues to increase its energy productivity. According to information posted on the website of the Georgian Electricity Market Operator (ESCO), in the first six months of 2023, the power plant was able to generate 42.74 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. This is 7.7% more than in the same period last year.

Since its launch in 2016, Kartli has become the only wind farm in Georgia. Its capacity is 20 MW, and although the share of this power plant in the total electricity production in the country is only 0.6%, it continues to play an important role in the diversification of energy sources.

The transition to alternative energy sources is a global trend, and Georgia is no exception. The country's government has made this transition a priority. It is planned to actively integrate solar and wind energy into the energy system. With the increase in electricity consumption from year to year, experts are paying attention to the possible occurrence of an energy shortage by 2030.

Georgia has developed support for renewable energy, which includes financing the construction of power plants with a total capacity of 1.5 thousand megawatts over the next three years through auctions.

The Georgian government plans to accelerate the development of this industry, and in the next two to three years it is planned to attract investments in the amount of 3 to 4 billion dollars.

According to the proposed scheme, the new support model will cover 27 winning projects selected based on the results of the first auction. These projects include hydroelectric power plants (15 projects), wind farms (two projects) and solar power plants (ten projects).

This scheme implies state support of energy projects for 15 years after the start of operation. It also includes the CFD (Contract for Price Difference) principle, which provides state guarantees between contract and market prices to companies involved in the construction of new power plants in Georgia.

According to ESCO data, in 2022 electricity consumption in Georgia amounted to 14.8 billion kilowatt-hours, which is 3.8% more than in 2021. Last year, the country produced 14.2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is 12.7% more than in the previous year. Due to the lack of its own production, Georgia was forced to import more than 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity.