MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

“Enguri HPP is a very important hydroelectric power plant, which will strengthen our energy independence and sovereignty, without the Enguri HPP our political sovereignty would be questioned,” – the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Natia Turnava said.

Natia Turnava visited the Enguri HPP together with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Gharibashvili to get acquainted with the ongoing rehabilitation works.

Large-scale rehabilitation of the Enguri HPP began in January - all five units of the HPP were shut down on January 20, 2021 for the necessary and urgent works in the diversion tunnel. According to the Minister of Economy, the works are being carried out according to the planned schedule and for the last 20 years, no such large-scale rehabilitation has been carried out on the Enguri HPP - in particular, rehabilitation works worth about 50 million Euros.

“It is very important that the works will be accomplished in early May. May is a period of drought and the production of the Enguri HPP makes a very large contribution to the overall national production and consumption. As you know, the Enguri HPP is of almost half a century old. This is our national wealth, which was left to us by previous generations,” – the Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development noted.

At the same time, according to Natia Turnava, it is important that the Enguri HPP is a facility that unites the whole country, because it serves to the whole country, including the population of Abkhazia.

“It serves to whole of Georgia, including our Abkhazian sisters and brothers, and this is our common wealth. Our generation, our government will do our best to further strengthen our energy independence and build new hydropower plants based on local resources. Of course, it is important to develop small energy - wind, solar, green hydrogen technology, but we need to build large, dam and reservoir hydropower plants like the Enguri, including the Namakhvani, the Khudoni, the Nenskra. On the whole, it is a guarantee that in the future we will never be dependent on our neighbourhood in terms of imports and nothing will threaten our energy security, our economic independence,” – the Minister noted.

The Enguri HPP is be connected to the common energy network this May.