The Enguri Hydrological Forecasting
Georgia is a country rich with natural resources. Among them, water plays a vital role in drinking, sanitation, agriculture, industry, transportation and, of course, hydropower generation.
On the one hand, the mountains the Caucasus is famous for hold great ecological value, represent a cultural heritage and are part of the livelihood and very identity of local inhabitants. On the other hand, they present dangers such as floods, landslides, rockslides, or glacier outbursts that must be managed. Mountains also provide a prime location of the installation of hydropower plants, harnessing energy made available by the generous rainfall and irregular landscape. The Enguri River and its hydro potential will play a key role in the future sustainable development of Georgia.
The Enguri Hydrology Initiative (EHI) was born to improve the management and optimization of water resources in the country.. The mission of the EHI is the “Establishment of a consultative group for active collaboration, data and information sharing, and the introduction of international best practice for utilizing hydro-meteorological data and hydrological modelling for hydropower operators and others in the Enguri River Basin”. The initiative is being steered by the Georgian Electricity Development Fund (GEDF), a joint-stock company whose 100% of the shares are in the state ownership and is managed by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. Along with GEDF, several other prominent stakeholders are engaged in the project. These are the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture of Georgia, The Georgian State Electrosystem, the Georgian Energy Exchange, the Georgian Electricity Market operator, Engurhesi LLC, the National Environmental Agency, and the European Investment Bank. Beyond these, the association of other private and public entities is welcome.
“The EHI aims to bolster cooperation among key organizations in the Enguri River basin and enhance decision-making capabilities. To achieve these goals, the project will evaluate hydro-meteorological data acquisition capabilities and propose ways to enhance them; develop hydrological models that can address challenges such as flood security, climate change, or sedimentation; promote cooperation among stakeholders by helping to establish protocols for data sharing and model ownership and setting up operational systems; transfer knowledge so that local experts can independently tackle important issues such as hydrological forecasting or the optimization of hydropower production; and ensure the continuity of the work. Trough long-term planning and transfer of know-how and tools to local organizations, the advancements achieved during the Project will endure after it ends, namely under the stewardship of the Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE).”
Funding for the EHI was made available by the Government of Austria (Drive Fund) as a non-refundable aid to Georgia administrated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). EBRD is one of the major contributors to sustainable hydropower projects in the region and, since 1998, it financed three rehabilitation phases of the Enguri hydropower plant. Presently, beyond considering financing of several other smaller hydropower plants in the river basin, EBRD is still invested in the ongoing rehabilitation of the Enguri hydropower plant, with a budget of 35 million EUR.
The Enguri Hydrological Initiative (EHI) is implemented by a team of international experts consisting of a consortium of national and international players. The leader of the team is "Gruner-Stucky" LLC, which specializes in the field of hydropower and has been operating in Georgia for more than two decades. Other valuable members of the team are the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI), which is known for its outstanding work in hydrology, meteorology, and climate change, as well as SD Strategies, an innovative company specializing in sustainable development, climate action and governance based in Berlin. Local experts of energy, hydrology, and climatology are actively involved in the implementation of the project.
The EHI is invested both in the installation of new meteorological and hydrometric gauging stations and in the real-time mathematical models that will make good use of the data being collected. This will provide the base tools needed for a world-class management of the Enguri River basin, leading to better protection against floods and improved planning and reliability of energy production. While these are already important goals, the EHI will not stop just there. With a strong emphasis on sustainability, the EHI bets on knowledge transfer and the development of a successful long-term model for the maintenance and operations of the data collection equipment and mathematical models in the future.
The added value of the initiative to the country is well recognized, improving safety and bolstering the economy. It should be noted that the EHI could hardly have come at a better time, coinciding with great climate change awareness, the soaring of electricity prices worldwide, and the introduction of the spot energy market in Georgia.
The EHI is an ambitious move focused on learning more about water in the Enguri River and empowering local engineers, scientists, statesmen and private companies to take action. The project serves to demonstrate how river basins can be effectively and sustainably managed. Once the operation and maintenance model is consolidated, it can certainly be replicated in other parts of the country. Georgia will greatly benefit from more affordable and reliable electricity, security, environmental protection, and climate change response.