Shuakhevi hydro power plant

The Shuakhevi Hydro Power Plant (Skuakhevi HPP), is a run-of-the-river plant currently under construction in Adjara, Georgia. Construction on the project began in 2013 and it is expected to be operational in 2016. It will have an installed capacity of 185 megawatts (248,000 hp) with expected electricity output of 452 gigawatt-hours (1,630 TJ). The plant will have the capacity for diurnal storage in two reservoirs (22-metre (72 ft) Skhalta dam with a 19.4-hectare (48-acre) reservoir and 39-metre (128 ft) Didachara dam with a 16.9-hectare (42-acre) reservoir) allowing Shuakhevi HPP to store water for up to 12 hours and sell electricity at peak demand times. Three main tunnels are to be constructed on the Shuakhevi project; the 5.8 km Chirukhistsqali to Skhalta transfer tunnel, the 9.1 kilometres (5.7 mi) Skhalta to Didachara transfer tunnel and the 17.8 km Shuakhevi headrace and pressure tunnel. It is estimated that the project will cost US$417 million. For the purposes of developing, constructing and operating the Shuakhevi HPP, ADB and EBRD extended a loan to Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC of up to $86.5 million and IFC a loan of 80m USD. Adjaristsqali Georgia LLC is owned by the Norwegian Clean Energy Invest AS (40%), India’s Tata Power (40%), and IFC Infraventures (20%), an investment fund created by the International Finance Corporation. Company Alstom was chosen to supply the electromechanical equipment for the project.

Electricity demand in Georgia has been on the rise since 2009 and investment in new generation capacity is lagging behind.Georgia has about 40 billion kwt/h of potential electricity and only 18-20% is utilized today. The Shuakhevi HPP is a part of a large Georgian strategy to develop its hydropower potential. It will enable Georgia to use more of its energy resources to meet electricity demand during the winter months of December, January and February. Most of the energy will be exported to Turkey. The positive aspects of the investment according to EBRD include strengthening Georgia’s private energy sector, demonstrating new financing methods (the project will be the first power project in Georgia to rely on limited recourse financing) and setting standards for corporate governance and business conduct. It will also generate employment opportunities for local population. As of April 2016, more than 700 Georgians are working in the project, most of the

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