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Georgia to build first solar plant

24 January 2017

The Georgian government plans to construct eight solar power plants in the country, according to Prime Minister Giorgi Kvirikashvili. Most of the plants will be located in the east of the country, likely in Akhaltsikhe, Gardabani, Gldani, Kaspi, Marneuli and Ksani. The prime minister stated in a government session on 24 January that the government was committed to providing support to investors in the project, who will have 18 months to finalise the locations.

Ministers discussed a memorandum to be signed between the government and the Caucasus Solar Company, who will construct the plants. ‘This will be one step forwards on the path to energy-independence for our country’, the prime minister said.

He reiterated the country’s first wind-farm was opened in Kareli, central Georgia, last year, as the first step in developing alternative energy sources in Georgia. The Council of Directors of the Kartli Wind Power Plant announced in January that the wind farm had produced 7,181,999 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity in December, exceeding the planned number by 880,000 kWh.

Earlier in January, the government announced that a second wind farm would be constructed in Zestaponi, western Georgia. Yet the an investor for that project has yet to be found. The cost of the project will be $227 million.

Georgia's average annual consumption of the electricity is 11 billion kWh.