The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has released a report titled “Investment Opportunities in Utility-Scale Solar and Wind: Zonal Assessment for Georgia,” revealing that significant portions of Georgia’s territory hold exceptional solar development potential, with a maximum capacity estimated at 87 GW.
The Georgian government, prioritizing renewable energy expansion, commissioned the study with support from the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Georgian State Electrosystem. IRENA employed a zonal assessment methodology to identify regions favorable for future renewable energy deployment.
The report highlights central, southern, southwestern, and southeastern Georgia as prime areas for renewable energy projects, citing their proximity to transmission grids and road networks as key advantages. Notably, eastern Georgia’s geographical and climatic conditions were singled out as particularly favorable for solar development.
Key metrics analyzed in the report include installed capacity, hourly and annual energy generation potential, levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), and proximity to existing transmission infrastructure. For solar projects, LCOE ranged from 49.50to75.20 per megawatt-hour, providing critical economic benchmarks for feasibility.
From a land-use perspective, the 87 GW capacity would require a land utilization rate of 50 MW/km², with individual zones capable of hosting up to 5 GW of solar installations and land coverage ratios between 20% and 30%. This suggests Georgia can balance large-scale energy development with sustainable land management.
IRENA acknowledged limitations in the study, noting that factors such as permitting requirements, land ownership constraints, and protected area status were not fully incorporated. The agency cautioned that maximum deployment figures should be interpreted conservatively but emphasized the report’s value in guiding further investigations. High-resolution spatial and temporal resource data, it argued, could enable more precise site-specific assessments.
According to 2024 Global Energy Monitor data, Georgia aims to achieve 5.289 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030. As of late 2024, the country had deployed 133 MW of solar capacity, up from 64 MW at the end of 2023.
