The status of Abkhazia is still a central issue in the Georgian–Abkhazian conflict and Georgia–Russia relations. The Georgian side will continue to supply electricity to Abkhazia as able, said General Director of the Enguri Hydroelectric Power Station, Levan Mebonia.
Because of planned repair work, the Enguri Hydroelectric Power Station will stop the production of electricity for three to four weeks in 2017 and for three or four months in 2018.
“The water level in the reservoir of the Enguri Hydroelectric Power Station is approaching a critical point and the station will only be able to supply Abkhazia with electricity for about 15 days a month during the winter”, – he said in an interview with the newspaper “Rezonansi”.
According to him, everything will depend on the weather. In case of sunny weather, the station will run for 17 days, and in the case of cold – 13 days, said Mebonia.
“At a time when we turn off power plant, Abkhazia will receive half the electricity from us, and Russia will suply the second part. After that, the Enguri Hydroelectric Power Station will return Russian electricity during high water in the summer.” – Mebonia said.
In the winter 2016, to cover the shortfall in electricity of Abkhazia’s population, which was caused by the decrease in the water level in the reservoir Enguri HPP, Georgia started importing electricity from Russia. Then Kaladze said that to solve the problem of electricity shortages in Abkhazia, and to avoid serious consequences, the Georgian authorities had to make operational decisions.
