In April 2020, total generation and consumption nearly balanced (944 mln kWh of generation and 941 mln kWh of consumption), with power generation exceeding consumption by only 3 mln. kWh (corresponding to 0.3% of total generation: Figure 1). This occurred due to the simultaneous decrease in total consumption (7%) and total generation (2%). Interestingly, over the same period, wind power generation increased by a remarkable 23% compared to April 2019.

In April 2020, Georgian power plants generated 944 mln. kWh of electricity. This represents a 2% decrease in total generation, compared to the previous year (April 2019, the total generation was 966 mln. kWh). The decrease in generation on a yearly basis comes from the decrease of 6% in thermal and 2% in hydro power generation. Interestingly, on a yearly basis, wind power generation increased by remarkable 23% compared to April 2019.

The consequences of COVID-19 on tourism and in the industrial and service sectors have been discussed broadly recently. However, little has been said about the current and future implications on the Georgian power sector. The worldwide pandemic has already had and is still expected to have, quite significant implications on both the demand and supply sides of the electricity market. Although at this stage, we cannot estimate the exact scale of the effects, it is possible to represent a general theoretical framework of the existing and potential impacts.

In March 2020, Georgian power plants generated 867 mln. kWh of electricity. This represents an 11% decrease in total generation, compared to the previous year (in March 2019, the total generation was 974 mln. kWh). The decrease in generation on a yearly basis comes from the decrease of 64% in thermal power generation more than offsetting the increase of 30% in hydro and 7% in wind power generation.

Looking at the consumption and generation trends of the past year, it is evident that Georgia is an electricity importing country during most months, with consumption almost always exceeding domestic generation. The only exceptions over the last 12 months were May and June, when the generation-consumption gap briefly became positive, reverting to the negative again in July. This is quite a dramatic change from how the country’s generation-consumption gap looked back in 2010 when the country exported almost seven times more electricity (1524.3 GWh) than it imported (222.1 GWh) and thermal power generation was reduced to 682.8 GWh.