Khudoni hydropower plant, Georgia

A Partnership of unequals – Electricity exports from the eastern neighbourhood and western Balkans

June 7, 2012

Cooperation in the energy sector is one of the European Union’s key priorities in its relationships with neighbouring states. Although the promotion of energy efficiency, energy savings and the use of renewable energy sources should be the primary areas of cooperation along with “energy security”, the latter receives the lion’s share of attention and in several cases also a disproportionally large amount of financial support. This can have several negative environmental and social implications as this study shows.

Environmental standards in hydro power projects in Georgia

May 9, 2012

In recent years Georgia’s government has sought to position the country as a future regional renewable energy hub. Governmental plans include the construction of transmission lines and numerous hydropower plants (HPPs), in order to ensure electricity exports to Turkey and subsequently to gain access to the south-east European market by 2015-2017. The number and technical design of the planned HPPs do not comply with the principles of sustainable development, and they are bound to have serious negative impacts on the environment.

Corporate largesse meets scepticism at World Water Forum

March 21, 2012

Criticism and protests around the World Water Forum have highlighted the risk of hydropower projects being greenwashed and the dangers these installations can pose to people and nature in many countries.

Khudoni hydropower plant – a risky deal

November 21, 2011

The proposed Khudoni hydro power plant poses the risk of an ecological disaster in one of the most amazing highland regions of Georgia. Additionally, the economic justification of the project is doubtful because the contract with the completely unknown, offshore Virgin Islands registered Georgian-Indian Company Transelectrica Ltd, is based on the BOO (Build-Own-Operate) principle that does not promise any significant income for the Georgian budget.

Dam Big Impact – The energy sector development in Georgia

July 23, 2009

The energy policy of the Georgian government supported by a number of IFIs, aims at utilising the hydroenergy potential in the country in order to overcome the existing energy crisis. But effectively, this policy has the potential to cause significant negative impact on the environment, to drastically change the social and demographic situation in Georgia’s mountain areas and to devastate the existing cultural heritage.

Letter to IFIs regarding Georgian hydropower plants

July 23, 2009

We have received the following responses: On July 29, 2009 from EBRD (pdf here). On August 4, 2009 from EIB (pdf here). On August 27, 2009 from World Bank (pdf here).

Risky deal, risky business: the Khudoni hydropower plant, Georgia

June 26, 2009

This report reviews documents provided by the Georgian government and the World Bank, and a number of independent research reports regarding the Georgian power sector and highlights the concerns of the local people towards the Khudoni HPP as expressed during the public hearings organized in Svaneti in summer 2008.