THE CURRENT STATE AND KEY CHALLENGES OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN GEORGIA’S HYDROPOWER SECTOR
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31435/ws.3(93).2026.6824Keywords:
Hydropower Plant, Energy Efficiency, Hydropower Generation, Energy Security, Hydrology, Climate ChangeAbstract
This study assesses the current state of energy efficiency in Georgia’s hydro power sector and examines the principal technical, hydrological, grid-related, economic, and environmental factors that influence it. The analysis is based on the latest available materials from the Electricity Market Operator of Georgia (ESCO), Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE), the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC), and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Particular attention is given to trends in hydro power generation, the estimation of installed capacity utilization, seasonal variability, aging infrastructure, climate change, sediment accumulation, and grid integration. The analysis indicates that improving energy efficiency does not depend solely on the construction of new hydro power plants. Significant potential also lies in rehabilitating existing facilities, introducing digital monitoring and control, improving water-resource planning, and integrating hydro power with solar and wind generation and energy-storage technologies.
References
Shatakishvili, L., & Khelidze, G. (2019). Georgian small HPP. LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing. https://www.lap-publishing.com
Electricity Market Operator of Georgia (ESCO). (n.d.). Electricity balance 2015.
Electricity Market Operator of Georgia (ESCO). (n.d.). Electricity balance 2025.
Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE). (n.d.). Ten-year network development plan of Georgia 2024–2034.
International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). (2025). Energy transition assessment: Georgia.
Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC). (n.d.). Annual report 2024.
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). (2024). EBRD and EU support upgrade of Georgia’s largest hydro power plant.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Lena Shatakishvili, Grigol Khelidze, Giorgi Sulaberidze
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
All articles are published in open-access and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Hence, authors retain copyright to the content of the articles.
CC BY 4.0 License allows content to be copied, adapted, displayed, distributed, re-published or otherwise re-used for any purpose including for adaptation and commercial use provided the content is attributed.
How to Cite
