ADB to lend Georgia $48 mln for energy system upgrade
TBILISI. Jan 14 (Interfax) - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a $48 million loan for Georgia to fund a regional project to ensure electricity transmission stability, the ADB office in Georgia told Interfax Friday.
This is the first loan the ADB is allocating to the energy sector in Georgia, a bank spokesman said.
"The money will be used to upgrade and build substations in Georgia to increase electricity exports and support its regional trade in the Caucasus," he said.
Several substations will be reconstructed and be installed with modern digital controls and protective relaying systems. In addition, a new 220 kV substation will be built in the village of Khorga (western Georgia) that will increase electricity transmission to 400 megawatts from the Inguri HPP to the free industrial zone in Poti and to Turkey via substations in Batumi.
Georgia exported 532.1 million kilowatt hours of electricity in January-September 2012.
