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Khudoni Hydropower Project, Georgia Georgia is one of the fastest growing economies in Central Asia. After the breakup of the Soviet Union and due to its geographically and geopolitically strategic position, the country today has accumulated needs for the development of new infrastructure projects.
One of the country’s main focus is the Khudoni hydropower project in the western part of the country. The upstream project of the existing Enguri Dam, which was completed in 1981, foresees a 200.5 m high arch dam, 3 headrace tunnels and an underground powerhouse cavern with 3 Francis units generating 700 MW in total. In 1979 construction for the Khudoni project was started and major parts of the underground excavation and dam foundation excavation had been completed until 1988. However, environmental and technical concerns overshadowed the project from the beginning. The earthquake in Armenia with a magnitude of 6.9 on Dec. 7th 1988, civil strife and funding issues have brought the work to a complete stop in 1989.
In 1992 a modified Khudoni project with a 30 m lower dam was studied. Construction was however never taken up due to financial restrictions and political unrest in the newly independent country. More than 10 years later, in 2003, the project was again resumed by the Ministry of Energy of Georgia. After an international bidding in 2006 the Joint venture COLENCO-STUCKY, assisted by local professionals, has been awarded in May 2007 to prepare a complete new Project Feasibility Study for the Khudoni HEP. The main aim of this study is to review the technical and economical feasibility of the project, evaluate the already completed work and its incorporation in the modified project, determine the adequacy of the site for a high arch dam or other dam types and identify possible alternatives. Georgia is changing. With a young and dynamic population the country focuses on its future and independence. We are proud to be part of this challenging development and to support it with our technical knowledge and experience. Stefan Mützenberg - Hydropower Plants 10 Years in Vietnam Colenco is celebrating its 10th anniversary in Vietnam. We opened our representative office in Hanoi in 1997 and over the 10 years, Colenco has been or is associated with more than 25 projects in the energy and environmental sectors. More... (4 MB pdf) ÅF acquires energy consultants Colenco AG Colenco Info July 2007 |
