Georgia Wind Energy Project

The country is already a net electricity exporter, thanks to the 1,300 MW of hydro from Inguri. Additional 1,800 MW are now in the pipeline, all of which for export.

Georgia is strongly capitalizing on hydropower for its energy and economic development. The programme enacted by the Georgian government aims at using its strategic position between Caucasia and Turkey, which allows it to reach Middle Eastern and East European markets to turn the country into a major regional electricity exporter,.

With 5 million inhabitants, today Georgia already is a net electricity exporter, thanks to the Inguri dam, which in 2007, with its 1,300 MW of capacity, changed the chronically deficitary scenario, with frequent power cuts, to overproduction (Inguri meets alone about 50% of Georgia’s electricity needs).

The new target aims at doubling the current hydro capacity (approximately 1,800 MW out of the total 4,400 MW), exporting the excessive production, thus creating about 10,000 new jobs and also doubling the gross internal product over a decade.

According to official information, the country currently uses only 18% of its hydroelectric potential. Under the new plan, over the next 5 years more than 20 hydropower plants will be built, for a total capacity of 1,800 MW.

Construction of five of these plants has already started, and it was announced that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will grant a 20 million euro loan, to be used, among other things, to increase by 15% the power output of the Inguri plant.

Georgia signs cooperation agreement with France’s Renault

The Georgian government and the Renault-Nissan Alliance sign an agreement for preparing a zero emission partnership for electric cars with lithium ion batteries in the country.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is aimed at establishing a partnership to promote and implement electric vehicles in Georgia. The partnership program will mainly cover the evaluation of the needs :

– of publics institutions’ fleets of the country in Renault’s electric vehicles, – in charging network deployment

The agreement was signed today at Renault’s headquarter by Vera Kobalia, the economy and sustainable development minster, and Philippe Klein, Renault’s Executive Vice-President of Corporate Planning, Product Planning and Programs.

Both parties have decided to work together to define a final agreement with a view to encouraging the promotion of electric vehicles in order to reduce CO2 emissions and the effects of climate warming. The program aiming at setting the agreement up will focus on several topics:

– the promotion of the electric vehicle and the support of its commercialization, – the evaluation of the equipment in electric vehicles of the fleets of publics institutions of the country – the market study for charging network deployment, – the identification of public and private fleets customers, liable to join the project from their environmental commitment.

www.nissan-global.com/