“Interconnection is critical for renewables giving the intermittence of the sources,” highlighted Aida Sitdikova, Director of Energy Eurasia at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) during the Black Sea Energy Week that took place online on 29-30 September. “It is also a great way to support cooperation among countries and has an important place to occupy in the future energy transition.”

Giorgi Chikovani, CEO of the Georgian Energy Development Fund said that the main goal of the country is to diversify its energy sources and tap others like wind, solar, biomass and hydrogen. 

“Georgia’s priority would also be to strengthen its role as a transit country from East to West and from North to South and strengthen the energy security not only nationally but of the entire region,” he said. “There is a strong connection with neighbouring countries but more should be done with Armenia to have more capacity to trade. Anyway, despite the challenges that came with the COVID-19, Georgia hasn’t stopped to improve its energy sector and we are looking at the future very optimistic.”

For Maia Melikidze, Commissioner at the Georgian National Energy and Water Supply Regulatory Commission (GNERC), interconnection is a synonym of energy security for Georgia and the region. “Strengthening cooperation will bring us the expertise in exchange,” she pointed out. “Everybody needs the energy sector to develop because it is the spine of the economy.”

More interconnection capacity translates into more renewables energy sources, which in turn mean cheaper prices for both the investors and the consumers. A win-win solution to be fully exploited if we want to succeed in the energy transition.

ceenergynews.com, 01 October 2020