Giorgi Pkhakadze, founder of the company ‘Biorasi’, owns 22 hectares of land in Georgia, planted with a walnut orchard and cultivated iceberg lettuce. The main problem the company faced was a lack of electricity. It needs around 15 kilowatt hours to allow for recreational work and the functioning of the well pump, while the nearest electricity generator is about 1.5 km away. Introducing a transmission line would mean cutting a number of trees from the local forest, which would cause quite a lot of damage to the environment.

Thanks to a grant from the EU, the company was able to build its own solar power plant and produce green energy locally. As a result, it has reduced operational costs and saved up to GEL 6,000, which was previously needed to buy 2–3 tonnes of diesel per year. The reduced costs have enabled the company to employ more locals and expand its production line, even during hard times and the COVID-19 pandemic.

As part of EU’s GEL 1.5 billion COVID-19 support to Georgia, the EU and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are implementing a GEL 9 million grant programme together with the Georgian Agriculture and Rural Development Agency (ARDA). The programme aims to help Georgia’s rural regions respond to economic and social challenges amid the COVID-19 crisis, as well as promote the use of renewables and alternative energy technologies and improve the energy efficiency of businesses in rural areas to benefit local people and the planet. The programme covers eight municipalities – Akhalkalaki, Borjomi, Dedoplistskaro, Kazbegi, Keda, Khulo, Lagodekhi and Tetritskaro.

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