Azerbaijan, Baku, Oct. 17 /Trend E. Ismailov /
Realisation of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Power Bridge Project will ensure the stability of Georgia's power system, a source in the energy market told Trend.
It will be necessary to carry out the reconstruction of transmission lines stretching to Azerbaijan's border with Georgia, in order to provide the export of electricity. In turn, the Georgian side should complete the construction work over its territory.
"This is a quite large project and Azerbaijan has sufficient excess amounts of electricity for its implementation. I believe that supplies of electricity via the 500-kilovolt transmission line within the framework of this project can become a reality in 2014," the source said.
According to him, currently supplies of electricity from Azerbaijan to Georgia are carried out via a 330-kilovolt power line.
Georgia's energy system is basically formed on the basis of hydroelectric power plants and therefore in the summer when the country is experiencing a deficit, that is covered by electricity from Azerbaijan. Payment for electricity delivered to the neighbouring country is mainly carried out by the return of electricity during the period when Georgia's rivers are full and flowing, the source said.
"Accordingly, the sustainability of Georgia's power system will strengthen with the implementation of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Power Bridge Project," the interlocutor said.
Previously the Turkish Electricity Trading and Contracting Company Inc. (TETAS) said that originally it was planned to begin electricity exports in 2013, but delays in work on Georgia's territory affected the start date.
The project provides for the supplies of 1200 megawatts of electricity to Turkey, while some 600 MW of the electricity will account for Azerbaijan.
In total the project envisages the annual export of 2000 MW of electricity from Turkey to Europe.
Back in early 2013, Azerenergy JSC which is engaged in production and distribution of electricity in Azerbaijan said that a number of electric power facilities were reconstructed in Azerbaijan as part of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Power Bridge Project.
In particular, work on the full reconstruction of the Mukhranis-Veli 500-kV overhead line to a length of 150 km, has been completed. Installation of the third 400-megawatt autotransformer at the 500-kV Absheron substation and reconstruction of a 300-kilovolt open distribution facility have also been completed.
At present, the installed capacity of Azerbaijan's power system is 6450 megawatts.