Georgia.The enterprise would connect Georgiato the European grid via HVDC transmission.

Ergon Solair is one step closer to realizing a $1.5 billion, 1 GWphotovoltaic power plant in

Ergon Solair’s planned 1 GW plant hasattracted major investors such as SkyPower Global and Primesolar.

Flickr/shayhaas

Ergon Solair LLP, an American-Taiwanese PVpartnership, is one step closer to realizing a $1.5 billion 1 GW photovoltaic power plant in Georgia.

Ergon Solair Chairman and CEO Lorenzo L.Colacicchi met with Georgian Minister of Energy Kakha Kaladze to present theplanned project. The plant, which would employ local photovoltaic equipmentassembly facilities, would be interconnected to Europe though the Black Sea byway of HVDC underwater transmission. The HVDC transmission would be implementedwith the technical cooperation of Turkey’s Derinsu Offshore Survey andEngineering Company at an additional cost of $1.5 billion.

Ergon Solair’s presentation includedinformation about investors that have shown interest in supporting the project,including SkyPower Global, a major international solar developer, andPrimesolar Srl, an Italian contractor.

Georgia’s Ministry of Energy confirmedduring the meeting that one of its priorities was the utilization of thecountry’s solar resources and promotion of investments, according to ErgonSolair.

The project is expected to be finalizedfollowing further negotiations between the Taipei-based Ergon Solair and theGeorgian Ministry of Energy.

"We are very grateful for the supportwe have received from the Deputy Minister of Energy Ilia Eloshvili during thepreliminary studies of our project and for the support to our project expressedby the Minister of Energy Kakha Kalazde during our meeting of May 22,"Colacicchi said.

"We look forward to finalizing thisdevelopment and implementing this project in Georgia, as it will have verypositive impact on regional sustainability, stimulate growth of the Eurasiangreen economy sector and create numerous job opportunities."

Colacicchi added that the HVDCtransmission system would connect Georgia to Europe, "thus integrating thecountry into the European super grid and bringing benefit not only by way ofthe solar power plant, but also by facilitating the exchange with Europe ofhydro and wind energy, creating a further stimulus for the growth of therenewable energy sector in the Caucasus."