Romeo Mikautadze highlights energy opportunities at IRENA Assembly

Tbilisi: Romeo Mikautadze, the First Deputy Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia, introduced energy opportunities to the participants of the International Renewable Energy Agency Assembly(IRENA).

At the Assembly, the Georgian Deputy Minister emphasized the geostrategic location of the country, which adds to its strength, stating- “Georgia is located at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, which is its advantage. The energy sector of Georgia is in an active phase of development. Our goal is to make effective use of the huge untapped potential of renewable energy in hydro, wind, solar and other energy-efficient directions.” 

As remarked by Romeo Mikautadze, the international best practice shows that sustainable development and a transition to sustainable energy are the steps forward towards a low-emission economy. 

However, he said, sustainable energy development isn’t just the use of renewable energy – it’s a synergy of energy efficiency, renewable energy and framing policy that requires resource availability, proper investment, strong political will and close co-operation between different parties, both within the country and in the region.

According to the First Deputy Minister, Georgia is developing an additional generation to meet the growing need of energy, especially to tackle the energy deficit that kicks in during the winter.

Additionally, it looks forward to being self reliant in terms of energy and doing the best possible to reduce dependence on imported energy resources. As per him, about 202 renewable energy projects, which include about 153 hydro, 18 wind, and 31 solar power plants, are currently at different stages of development in Georgia.