The management of Bakhvi HPP met with representatives of non-governmental organizations operating in Ozurgeti, including Tamaz Trapidze, head of the Young Lawyers Association's Ozurgeti office, and Irma Gordeladze, head of an environmental organization.
Giorgi Abramishvili, Director of Bakhvi HPP, shared information with the NGO representatives about the entry of a European investor, the Austrian fund “ILAG,” into the Bakhvi 2 Hydropower Plant project.
Another important update that the NGO representatives heard was related to the submission of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report for the Bakhvi 2 Hydropower Plant project. The company submitted the document to the National Environment Agency for review on October 20, 2022. Notably, during the ESIA preparation period, Bakhvi HPP management commissioned numerous studies by local and international professionals. For instance, Pierre Biderman, founder of the French company Alpage and an international expert, conducted a cost-benefit analysis and cumulative, micro, and macroclimate studies for the Bakhvi 2 Hydropower Plant. Georgian expert Nikoloz Kerdikoshvili conducted a study on the otter population in the project area, while Nikola Fox, an expert from the UK office of the international company SLR, worked on a biodiversity study and biodiversity management plan.
The NGO representatives also received a report on the social projects completed and ongoing during the fall of 2022.
The meeting included a discussion on the challenges within the sector and outlined ways and mechanisms to address these challenges.
Meetings with representatives of the non-governmental sector are initiated by Bakhvi HPP to promote transparency, provide timely and effective information about project progress to interested parties, and gather valuable insights and recommendations from them. The meeting was held at the Bakhvi HPP office in Ozurgeti.