Georgia: Electricity Consumption up by 13% in 1Q2022

Georgia: The Electricity Market Operator (ESCO) has published a report for the first quarter of the year 2022 regarding the consumption of electricity in Georgia.

In the report, ESCO has mentioned that Georgia has utilised 3.9 terawatt-hours of electricity, up 13 per cent as compared to the same period of 2021.

Moreover, according to the report, the generation of electricity in the country has inclined this year. The hydropower plants have generated a total of 1.5 terawatt-hours of electricity (up 18%), while electricity generated by thermal power plants was 1.45 billion terawatts-hours (up 71%). Due to this, the generation of electricity in the country has increased by 38% to 3 terawatt-hours. In the previous year, one of the most prominent hydropower plants in Georgia was put on halt for rehabilitation which caused a decline in the electricity production in the country.

On the other hand, the imports of electricity in the nation have decreased due to the rise in local energy generation. 

During the 1st quarter of 2022, the nation has bought a total of 1.1 terawatt-hours of electricity, down 4% as compared to the past year.

Imports of electricity by nations:

Imports of electricity from Russia (for the region of Abkhazia) – 652 million kilowatt-hours;

Imports of electricity from Russia to the rest of Georgia – 187 million kilowatt-hours;

Imports of electricity from Armenia – 138.4 million kilowatt-hours;

Imports of electricity from Azerbaijan – 119.2 million kilowatt-hours.

As per the reports, Georgia has not bought a single million-kilowatt hour of electricity from Armenia in the last three years, but for the first time in recent years, Georgia has started purchasing electricity from its neighbouring state Armenia.

ESCO has been serving the stability of the Georgian Electricity Sector since 2006. ESCO started its operation about 12 years ago, based on the amendments introduced to the Georgian Law on Electricity and Natural Gas