87GW! IRENA Highlights Georgia’s PV Power Potential in Report

PVTIME – The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released a new report titled ‘Investment Opportunities in Utility-Scale Solar and Wind Energy’. Zonal Assessment of Georgia’, which identifies the country’s significant potential to become a renewable energy hub. The study reveals that Georgia could deploy up to 87GW of solar capacity, with the most promising development zones located in the central, southern, south-western and south-eastern regions. These areas are bolstered by their proximity to transmission grids and road networks. In particular, the eastern region stands out for its optimal geographic and climatic conditions for solar projects.

Conducted at the request of the Georgian government and supported by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Georgian State Electrosystem, the analysis uses a zonal assessment methodology to identify high-potential sites. Key findings include:

-Solar LCOE (levelised cost of energy): ranging from $49.50 to $75.20 per MWh, Georgia is positioned as a competitive market for solar investment.

-Land use efficiency: At full deployment, 87GW of solar power would require a land use rate of 50MW/km², with individual zones capable of hosting projects of up to 5GW and a land use coefficient of 20–30%.

While the report highlights Georgia’s ambition to develop renewable energy, it also notes limitations, such as insufficient consideration of permit requirements, land ownership and protected areas. It therefore urges caution when interpreting maximum deployment figures. However, IRENA stresses that the findings provide a critical foundation for further detailed assessments using high-resolution spatial and temporal data to identify specific project sites.

Current progress highlights steady momentum: Georgia aims to reach 5.289GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, with solar deployments rising from 64MW in 2023 to 133MW by the end of 2024. The report therefore calls for collaborative action to unlock the country’s vast solar potential and drive sustainable economic growth.