Turkey to Export 2,000 Megawatts to Europe from Regional Power Bridge

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The Azerbaijan-Georgia-Turkey (AGT) power bridge project will see the delivery of 1,200 megawatts (MW) of power capacity to Turkey, with 600 MW of the total coming from Azerbaijan. The project will allow for the export of 2,000 MW from Turkey to Europe.

A high-voltage power transmission line that connects Georgia and Turkey will be commissioned December 10. The construction of a 500-kilovolt (kV) transmission line started in 2010 and was completed in May 2012. The transmission line is currently in test mode, making it impossible to complete the construction on schedule. The line will allow Turkey's energy system to receive 1,000 MW without any technical barriers.

The AGT power bridge is being implemented by the three countries. The current construction is being implemented by the Georgian State Electrosystem, with an investment of $337 million (250 million euros).

The AGT project was established in April 2009 as a sub-regional project to investigate the technical potential of the high-voltage networks of the three participating countries. The networks will support increased trade and the exchange of electricity, and strengthen network reliability.

The project grows out of the Black Sea Regional Transmission Planning (BSTP) project and supports USAID's (Washington D.C.) goal to strengthen the interconnection of the three countries to enhance sub-regional electricity trade. It also will integrate renewable energy, improve energy security, and optimize the regional generation fleet.

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