Jan 11, 2011

Abkhazia: Enguri Dam Wins European Funding


The cross-border Enguri Dam will receive millions of euros to upgrade generators located in Abkhazia that will in turn help to provide electricity to thousands of people in the region.

Below is an article published by HydroWorld:

In order to finance the completion of rehabilitation of Enguri hydro power plant and Vardnili hydro power cascade in Georgia, the European Investment Bank (EIB) was lending EUR 20 million.

The Enguri plant is the largest in the region. The project is situated on the administrative border of breakaway Abkhazia. The plant s generators are placed on the Abkhaz side of the administrative border. Its arch dam is situated on the Georgian-controlled territory. 

The loan from EIB will be used for the rehabilitation of two out of five generator units of the Enguri HPP and rehabilitation of Vardnili 1 waterways and the canal of the cascade situated downstream of the Enguri HPP. The safe water evacuation towards the Black Sea will be guaranteed by the Vardnili cascade rehabilitation.  According to EIB, from the EU Neighborhood Investment Facility, it would co-finance the project alongside a loan of EUR 20 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and a grant of EUR 5 million.