Ex Prime Minister: Additional 1 Billion Kw/H Signifies Extra $100 Million in Our Economy

“Any hydropower plant, be it a big one, medium or small one should be built in compliance with technical, social and environmental standards. We frequently hear objections against building hydropower plans.

This is a wrong position and it is the government’s responsibility to provide due explanations to the society”, Ex-Prime Minister Zurab Noghaideli, currently, member of the El Green energy company supervisory board, noted. We should not implement any energy project that we cannot substantiate, Zurab Noghaideli said. “I believe that we can provide valuable explanations why Georgia needs this or that power facility, for instance, Namakhvani HPP. Namely, we should explain clearly what additional domestic 1 billion kw/h signifies for the Georgian economy and domestic population”, the Ex-Prime Minister noted.

We should explain that imports of 1 billion kw/h signify an outflow of $50 million on average from our economy, while the domestically generated 1 billion kw/h can attract $50 million to our economy. This signifies that the domestic generation of 1 billion kw/h will attract $100 million to our economy and these benefits will be reflected on our compatriots”, Noghaideli said. At the same time, our society should not consider water resources as the source for generating only kw/hs, he aid. “First, water resources are vital resources and we should employ them correctly and properly without essential environmental damages and in the volumes that are required for developing Georgia’s energy system and the whole economy”, Zurab Noghaideli noted.