“The work is proceeding according to the schedule, we are meeting the stated deadlines. About 60% of the work has already been done. May 5 is the maximum date for the launch of the IngurHES. We will try to connect the station on May 1-2, ” Mebonia said.
The Ingur hydroelectric power station was completely stopped on January 20 of this year for the diversion tunnel repair. The length of the tunnel is more than 15 kilometers. Repair work is being carried out in the most problematic areas, which will allow avoiding major accidents in the future and reducing by half the loss of electricity, which reached 250 million kilowatt-hours a year due to water leaks in the tunnel.
“The tunnel is located in a rock, our task is to strengthen the concrete walls, seal the cracks to prevent water leakage. Work to repair the water intake is also underway, ” explained Mebonia.
550 people are involved in the repair work.
The repair of the power plant will cost 45 million euros, 7 of which were allocated in Georgia as a grant from the European Commission. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development provided a loan of 38 million euros.
IngurHES is the only source of electricity in Abkhazia. The structures of the Ingur HES are located both on the territory of Georgia (dam, water intake and part of the tunnel) and Abkhazia (part of the tunnel and the building of the hydroelectric power station). The Ingur hydropower complex, in addition to the Ingur hydroelectric power station itself, includes four differential hydroelectric power stations on the Eristskali River in the territory of Abkhazia. The station was commissioned in 1978.
The Ingur hydroelectric power station belongs to the dam-derivation hydroelectric power plants, the hydraulic scheme of which is based on the diversion of a part of the Ingur river flow to the Eristskali river basin. Of the total head of 410 m, 226 m is created by the dam, and the remaining 184 m - by pressure derivation.
The average annual output of the Ingur HES is 3 billion 700 million kilowatt-hours.