MINISTRY OF ECONOMY
AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
OF GEORGIA

Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Natia Turnava participated in the EBRD’s Workshop dedicated to the COVID-19 Crisis and Recovery in terms of the global energy challenges and post-pandemic development of the sector.

In her speech, Natia Turnava spoke about the challenges facing the Georgian energy sector and the government’s anti-crisis decisions aimed at supporting the population and business. The Minister also thanked the EBRD for its support of the development of renewable and innovative energy in the country.

“I would like to thank the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Georgian office of this organization, for their continuous support and facilitation in the implementation of the energy reforms. The contribution of this financial organization in the development of renewable energy sources in Georgia - hydro, solar, wind energy, is crucial,” – the Minister said.

Natia Turnava focused on another area of cooperation with the EBRD – the innovative forms of renewable energy, such as, for example, “green” hydrogen. According to him, the Government of Georgia, with the assistance of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, is conducting research on the use of this technology.

As Natia Turnava noted during the webinar, the pandemic posed serious challenges to Georgia’s as well as the global energy sector.

“The economic downturn in the world is causing a number of negative developments for energy - a reduction in consumption and solvency, both in business and in the population, as well as the suspension of projects. In this regard, Georgia is distinguished by the fact that our government team has planned to subsidize energy costs for families as one of the measures of the anti-crisis plan. We are helping 2/3 of Georgian families who are consumers of electricity and natural gas,” –  Natia Turnava commented.

According to the Minister, in parallel with the mentioned measures, energy projects implemented in Georgia with private investment were not suspended during the pandemic.

The Minister also noted that it covers the projects launched before the pandemic and the ones that were launched in 2020. According to Natia Turnava, 670 MW hydropower plants have either been put into operation or moved to the construction stage. Turnava also stressed on the rehabilitation of the country’s largest hydropower plant – the Enguri HPP, which will be implemented in the following 3 months.

The Minister thanked the webinar organizer, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, noting that such events provide an opportunity for stakeholders to engage in constructive dialogue, share experiences and further enhance energy cooperation.