The first stage of the project for supplying natural gas to Georgia’s highland Adjara has been completed successfully and the Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze ignited a fire from the main pipeline to mark the completion of the project, Agenda.ge reports.
[This project] is a very important step of state magnitude, as it will enable us not only to avoid the reduction of population in mountainous Adjara, but on the contrary - it will let us increase it further and make this place more interesting for the development of tourism. This fascinating landscape we see now should become an all-year-round destination of recreation and natural gas supply is a prerequisite for this”, said Bakhtadze.
The first phase of natural gas supply to highlander Adjara covers villages from Salibauri through Khichaura. Pipes have been laid for 65 kilometers of the central pipeline. Project envisages supply of natural gas to 11,000 subscribers of Khelvachauri, Keda and Shuakhevi.
The cost of the first phase was 25,768,251 GEL.
Construction work started on October 17, 2017 and has been carried out by Energy Invest 2009 LDT.
Bakhtadze also announced about the phase two of the project which had been budgeted at 30 million GEL.
As I promised, our pipelines will reach Goderdzi Gorge by 2020 to supply natural gas to 15,000 households in addition to the current number of subscribers”, Bakhtadze said.
Phase two of the project is being designed currently and envisages the construction of a main pipeline along Shuakhevi-Goderdzi Gordge with an estimated length of 54 kilometers. Project completion will benefit 15,200 subscribers in addition to the current beneficiaries.