Ergon Solair, an American-Taiwanese PV partnership has secured support from US state government for the development of its $1.5bn solar power project in Georgia.
In a letter to the company, Georgia Deputy Minister of Energy Ilia Eloshvili has confirmed that the authorities’ have agreed to negotiate the terms and conditions for the construction of the 1GW solar plant.
The development follows a meeting held between Georgia Ministry of Energy Kakha Kaladze and Ergon Solair’s representative Lorenzo Colacicchi on 22 May 2013.During the meeting, Energy Minister Kakha Kaladze had affirmed state government’s commitment in boosting the use of renewable energy resources, thereby attracting investments.
Ergon Solair chairman and CEO Lorenzo Colacicchi remarked that the company is delighted with the support while the project is still in the preliminary stages.
"We look forward to finalizing this development and implementing this project in Georgia, as it will have very positive impact on regional sustainability, stimulate growth of the Eurasian green economy sector and create numerous job opportunities," added
Colacicchi.
The Georgia plant is expected to feature local photovoltaic equipment assembly facilities. Also, the company is intending to connect the project to the European grid employing HVDC underwater transmission through the Black Sea.
An additional $1.5bn investment is anticipated for installation of the HVDC transmission system that will be deployed in collaboration with Derinsu Offshore Survey and Engineering Company.