Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.28
By Elena Kosolapova - Trend:
New power transmission lines constructed in Georgia as part of the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey Power Bridge are able to ensure the export and transit of up to 700 megawatt of electricity to Turkey, Georgia's Deputy Minister of Energy Mariam Valishvili told Trend Oct..28.
"Power transmission lines may ensure the export of the growing volume of electricity [from Georgia] and its transit [from Azerbaijan to Turkey]," Valishvili said.
Additionally, there are sufficiently powerful power transmission lines (500 kilovolt and 300 kilovolt) running from Azerbaijan to Georgia, according to the deputy minister.
"Definitely, we will be able to receive both 500 megawatt and 800 megawatt of electricity from Azerbaijan without any problems," Valishvili added.
She said the new power transmission line, connecting the power supply systems of Georgia and Turkey, has already been tested.
"We constructed a substation in Akhaltsikhe, tested it and started the electricity export in late May. Around 250 million kilowatt hours of electricity was exported in June-July," the deputy minister said.
Moreover, Valishvili added that the new power transmission line was used for the emergency import of electricity from Turkey for several hours when an accident occurred in Georgia's power supply system in July 2014. Thus, the line's operation in the opposite direction was also tested.
Georgia may export electricity annually from April to August, when there is excess electricity in the country.
"The electricity consumption constantly grows in the country. Georgia's export potential depends on how many hydro power plants will be built there in the future," she said.
The deputy minister said that it is planned to commission a hydro power plant with the total installed capacity of 120-130 megawatt in Georgia in 2015. Additionally, it is planned to increase the facilities in this sphere in 2016 as well.
Earlier, Azerbaijan's Energy Minister Natig Aliyev said that the electricity export from Azerbaijan via the Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey route may start by late 2015.
He said it is planned to solve all technical and commercial issues related to the transmission and transit of electricity within this corridor in 2015, which will create conditions to start the export.
"It is planned to hold negotiations on the transit, determining the payment for transit, electricity and other issues. These issues may be solved in 2015," Aliyev said.
Currently, the capacity of Azerbaijan's power supply system is 7,105 megawatt, which is 1,500 megawatt more than the country's demand for electricity.
The country is able to produce nearly 22 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year, which allows export of 2.3 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year.
Edited by CN