The 85MW Paravani hydroelectric project in Georgia’s Samstkhle Javakheti region has been officially opened, marking a milestone in energy supply for the county.

The plant, which is set to play a key role in Georgia’s non-carbon energy mix, was inaugurated in a ceremony at the weekend attended by the Prime Minister of Georgia, Irakli Garibashvili, the Minister of Energy, Kakha Kaladze, and Turkey’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Taner Yildiz.

The project, built by Turkey’s Anadolu Group, was funded principally funded by a $52 million loan from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), with a further $40.5 million loan from the International Finance Corporation and $23 million from commercial banks.

The power plant is connected to the Georgian electricitysystem via a 220kV line to the Akhaltsikhe substation, which has also been financed by the EBRD.