INOGATE & Georgia

Georgia is a founding member of INOGATE and has benefited from 36 of 69 INOGATE projects since 1996. With the seat of the INOGATE Regional Coordination Office for the Caucasus Region in Tbilisi, Georgia is well placed to coordinate INOGATE projects in the region. INOGATE continues to support Georgia in various areas of the energy sector:

• Energy markets: Georgia's energy markets have benefited from the development and review of its tariff methodologies in electricity and gas in line with EU practices and its internal electricity market models have been reviewed and analysed. INOGATE is also working under the coordination of the Ministry of Energy on the development of the legal and regulatory framework leading to a greater approximation of the Georgian legislation with the EU Acquis Communitaire on Energy. INOGATE also provides support for Georgia’s membership to the Energy Community.
• Energy security: In order to achieve a greater level of energy security in the future, it is imperative that Georgia has in place adequate infrastructure not only serving its domestic energy demand, but also to accommodate regional energy flows. State-of-the-art infrastructure, however, requires appropriate regulatory and commercial mechanisms that ensures its technical and economic efficiency. Electricity market stakeholders such as the Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) and Electricity System Commercial Operator (ESCO) are working with INOGATE in the development of the appropriate planning procedures and commercial models required for a enhancing regional trading and accommodate an increased share of RES in the country’s energy mix. Similarly, the Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation and Georgia's Gas Transmission Pipeline Network are working with INOGATE in developing the required knowledge base and practical skills for the operation of maintainance the existing networks as well as for planning, design and construction supervision of their future high pressure gas infrastructure.
• Energy standards: With INOGATE support in the standards area, a European-style gas Technical Committee was set up to strengthen Georgian institutional capacity in the uptake of European and international gas standards. Georgia received 112 translated European and international gas standards, 12 of which have been already adopted as inter-state standards, identical to international standards. The Road Map and Action Plan for the harmonisation of gas and electricity standards are currently being developed together with the programme of adoption of priority electricity standards for 2014-2016.
• Energy investments: Georgia's banking sector has benefited from INOGATE training and workshops to improve its financing of sustainable energy projects and to enable its access to the credit lines of international financial institutions.
• Energy efficiency: To improve the energy efficiency of buildings, INOGATE undertook an energy audit and training that has led to the refurbishment of a nine-storey residential building in Tbilisi using energy-efficiency technologies, highlighting the potential of energy efficiency for investment returns.
• Energy statistics: In a move to align its statistical activities with those of the EU and international agencies, with INOGATE assistance, Georgia has developed its Energy Statistics Action Plan for 2012-14, carried out surveys in the enterprise and households sectors and compiled its annual energy balance for 2013 according to international standards.