BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec.17
By Tamilla Mammadova – Trend:
Thanks to a grant from the European Union (EU), Georgian "Biorasi" company was able to build its own solar power plant and produce green energy locally, Trend reports via the EU.
Giorgi Pkhakadze, the founder of the company "Biorasi", owns 22 hectares of land in Georgia, planted with a walnut orchard and cultivated iceberg lettuce. The main problem the company faced was the lack of electricity. It needs around 15-kilowatt hours to allow for recreational work and the functioning of the well pump, while the nearest electricity generator is about 1.5 km away. Introducing a transmission line would mean cutting a number of trees from the local forest, which would cause quite a lot of damage to the environment.
EU helped the company to build its own solar power plant and produce green energy locally. As a result, it has reduced operational costs and saved up to 6,000 lari ($1,829), which was previously needed to buy 2–3 tons of diesel per year. The reduced costs have enabled the company to employ more locals and expand its product line, even during hard times and the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the EU’s 1.5 billion lari ($457.2 million) COVID-19 support to Georgia, the EU and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) is implementing a 9 million lari ($2.7 million) grant program together with the Georgian Agriculture and Rural Development Agency (ARDA).
The program aims to help Georgia’s rural regions respond to economic and social challenges amid the COVID-19 crisis, as well as promote the use of renewables and alternative energy technologies and improve the energy efficiency of businesses in rural areas to benefit local people and the planet. The program covers eight municipalities – Akhalkalaki, Borjomi, Dedoplistskaro, Kazbegi, Keda, Khulo, Lagodekhi, and Tetritskaro.
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