A wind power project planned in Georgia’s Kaspi Municipality could increase in size from 54 MW to 80 MW under a proposed modification now listed on Georgia’s Environmental Assessment Portal.

The project is associated with JSC Caucasus Wind Company and already holds an environmental decision for the construction and operation of a 54 MW wind farm, together with 35 kV and 110 kV transmission infrastructure and a 110 kV substation.

The current environmental portal lists a proposed change to the project’s operating conditions that would raise the wind farm’s installed capacity from 54 MW to 80 MW. The modification also provides for the existing 110 kV overhead transmission-line design to be fully double-circuited.

If implemented, the change would increase the planned generating capacity by approximately 48% compared with the configuration that received environmental approval in 2021.

Original project approved at 54 MW

Georgia’s Ministry of Environmental Protection and Agriculture issued the environmental decision for the original Kaspi wind project on 10 February 2021.

The approved project covered a 54 MW wind power plant in Kaspi Municipality, a 110 kV overhead transmission line, a 35 kV underground cable system and a 110 kV substation.

According to the environmental documentation prepared for that configuration, the project allowed for up to 16 wind turbines, depending on the final turbine model selected. Individual turbine capacity was envisaged at between 3.3 MW and 6 MW.

The documentation provided for rotor diameters of up to 180 metres and tower heights of up to 130 metres. The project’s electrical infrastructure included a dedicated substation near the turbine area and transmission facilities to connect the wind farm to the wider electricity system.

These specifications relate to the previously approved 54 MW design. The environmental portal entry announcing the proposed increase to 80 MW does not by itself establish the final turbine configuration that would be used for the expanded project.

Transmission infrastructure also part of the change

The proposed modification is not limited to additional generation capacity.

The environmental portal specifically identifies the full double-circuiting of the project’s 110 kV transmission line as part of the change. A double-circuit line carries two electrical circuits on the same transmission route and can provide greater transfer capability and operational flexibility than a single-circuit configuration.

The inclusion of transmission infrastructure is particularly relevant as Georgia develops additional renewable projects in regions where connection capacity and the ability of the grid to absorb new generation are increasingly important considerations.

Environmental requirements remain significant

The original environmental decision included a series of conditions relating to biodiversity, construction and long-term monitoring.

The approved project area is located around the Kvernaki ridge. Environmental documentation for the original development noted that much of the territory considered under the project memorandum overlapped with the Kvernaki Emerald Network site.

As part of the 2021 environmental decision, Caucasus Wind Company was required to undertake monitoring of migratory bird activity and mortality during operation, including specific monitoring related to the Egyptian vulture, and to submit monitoring results to the authorities. The decision also required updated biodiversity monitoring plans and additional pre-construction studies.

Any modification of the approved project remains subject to the applicable environmental assessment procedure and the conditions ultimately established by the relevant authorities.

Kaspi emerging as a wind-development area

The proposed capacity increase also adds to a growing pipeline of wind projects in and around Kaspi Municipality.

Separate projects currently under environmental development in the municipality include the 52.5 MW Teliani wind project. Other wind developments are being considered elsewhere in Shida Kartli, including an 80 MW project spanning Gori and Kareli municipalities. These are separate developments involving different project companies.

Georgia currently has only a limited amount of operating wind capacity compared with hydropower and thermal generation, but a substantially larger portfolio of projects is at various stages of development and environmental assessment.

The proposed increase of the Kaspi project from 54 MW to 80 MW therefore represents a material change to one of the country’s longer-standing wind development plans.

The final configuration, implementation timetable and construction schedule will depend on completion of the relevant regulatory and project-development procedures.

Source note: Based primarily on Georgia’s Environmental Assessment Portal and the 10 February 2021 environmental decision issued for JSC Caucasus Wind Company’s Kaspi wind power project. The 80 MW capacity represents a proposed modification to the previously approved 54 MW project and should not be interpreted as confirmation that the expanded configuration has entered construction.