CCEH Hydro VI LLC / Bakhvi 1 HPP

On May 5, 2021, discussion on Bakhvi 1 HPP was held at the Chokhatauri Municipality Council. In this discussion participated project development company CCEH Hydro VI LLC management representatives, Chokhatauri Municipality Council members, nongovernmental organizations, civil society, and media representatives. Company Director, Mr. Mikheil Nibladze, made a presentation of the project. The Project Manager discussed the technical design aspects of the Bakhvi 1 HPP project and ESG Manager focused on relevant environmental and social considerations.

Bakhvi 1 HPP is a hydro power plant construction project on the Bakhvistskali river carried out by CCEH Hydro VI LLC, company registered in Georgia on January 20, 2020. CCEH Hydro VI LLC was founded by the Caucasus Clean Energy Holding (CCEH). Caucasus Clean Energy Holding is an investment company, which has operated in Georgia since 2016 and invested in small HPPs construction through participation in the shared capital. The company investors are world-renowned financial institutions, mainly from the European and American countries. The company has operated in full compliance of international financial institutions management standards for environmental and social aspects, as well as in accordance with the Georgian legislation and regulations. CCEH portfolio includes both the projects already operating and the ones at the level of examination.

CCEH team includes high-level professionals experienced in investment, technical, and environmental areas, and high-level hydro power specialists and engineers. Average specialized professional experience of the company team members both in Georgia and internationally ranges from 5 to 20 years.

"We have many years of international experience in constructing and managing small HPPs and we apply this knowledge and experience to each of our projects.  As you are aware, in its portfolio our company has both completed and ongoing hydro power projects in different parts of Georgia, which is a clear example that small HPPs can be constructed in our country with appropriate planning and implementation of mitigating measures, thus minimizing environmental impact. Similarly, we wish to create a precedent in Guria that the project is acceptable to each stakeholder. Our communication model with stakeholders is based on a dialogue, through which we will be meeting with local population, regional and central nongovernmental organizations, and the media. Our goal is to make the project acceptable to every group and have the local population see the benefit of power generation facilities decentralization," said Mr. Mikheil Nibladze, Director of CCEH Hydro VI LLC. 

In conclusion of the meeting, the Municipality Council members emphasized that this was the first precedent when the investor organized a meeting with local community and shared project related information. In future, the questions posed at this meeting should be answered.

Public discussion on Bakhvi 1 HPP scoping report was held on January 29, 2021. Based on Letter No. 1414/01 of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture dated by February 17, 2021, the company submitted on April 16, 2021, additional information responding to questions related to the examination and subsequent construction and operation of 12 MW installed capacity Bakhvi 1 small HPP on the territory of Chokhatauri and Ozurgeti Municipalities. The company provided information contained responses that were requested to be clarified by the Ministry after the public discussion on the scoping report. Currently, the company expects the decision of the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture about the next stages of the project development.