Georgian State Electrosystem
JSC Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) is a 100% state-owned joint stock company providing transmission and exclusive dispatch services to about 60 eligible companies in Georgia. These two entities were themselves established in 1999 and 2000 respectively to own the transmission assets of the state utility Sakenergo and to manage the national dispatch centre. GSE carries out technical control over the entire power system to ensure the availability of the system for uninterrupted and reliable power supply; and transfers, without the right of purchase or sale, the electricity imported or generated in Georgia to distribution companies, direct customers or the power systems of neighboring countries. GSE operates under perpetual electricity transmission license No.12-004 and dispatching license No.13-004 obtained from the GNERC on December 20, 2002.
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| Joint Stock Company | |
| Industry | Energy |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | Tbilisi, Georgia |
Area served | Global |
Number of employees | 1,351 (2016) |
| Subsidiaries | Energotrans, Karçal Enerji |
| Website | www |
History
JSC Georgian State Electrosystem was established in 2002 through the merger of “Electrodispetcherizatsia” Ltd. and JSC “Elektrogadatsema”. Since December 2002, GSE management was carried out by the Irish company ESB International which had acquired the company 5-year management right in the tender “Wholesale Electricity Market Support Project” announced by the World Bank. In 2007, after the completion of the project, the management of GSE was transferred to the Georgian board of directors.
General Information
Georgia’s transmission network operates at 500 kV, 400 kV, 330 kV, 220 kV, 110 kV, 35 kV, 10 kV, 6 kV voltages.
Georgian grid is connected to power systems of neighboring countries through 500/400/330/220/110 kV transmission network:
• 500 kV backbone transmission lines Kartli-1, Kartli-2, Imereti, Kavkasioni connect the power system of Georgia with Russia and other large generation grids located North-West of Georgia (including Engurhesi) passing through 500 kV substations Gardabani 500, Zestafoni 500 and Ksani 500;
• Energotrans, the daughter company of GSE, has constructed 500 kV backbone transmission line Vardzia-Zekari-Meskheti, which connects the power system of Georgia with Turkey passing through 500 kV substations Gardabani 500, Zestafoni 500 and Akhaltsikhe 500 (Akhaltsikhe 500 line was also constructed by Energotrans);
• 500 kV transmission line Georgia-Azerbaijan and 330 kV transmission line Gardabani-330 connects Georgia with the power system of Azerbaijan;
• 220 kV transmission line Alaverdi connecting Georgia with Armenia.
There is also rather extensive 220 kV grid connected to other generation sites. Georgian grid is connected with Russia, Armenia and Turkey through 220 kV lines. There are also isolated 110 kV connections with Armenia and Russia.
Georgian State Electrosystem and its daughter company Energotrans own in total: 141 lines of 500-220-110-35 kV with the total length of 3350,62 km, including:
• 500 kV transmission line length – 270.5 km
• 400 kV transmission line length – 32.2 km
• 220 kV transmission line length – 1595.72 km
• 110 kV transmission line length – 913.24 km
• 35 kV transmission line length – 538.96 km
The total number of 500-220-110-35 kV substations constitutes 90 units, with the rated power of 9746.72 megawatt, including:
• 500 kV substation – 4 (the rated power – 4466.3 megawatt)
• 220 kV substation – 18 (the rated power – 4671.4 megawatt)
• 110 kV substation –26 (the rated power – 432.8 megawatt)
• 35 kV substation – 42 (the rated power – 176.22 megawatt)
Dispatching
The National Control (Dispatch) Centre, or NCC, of Georgia is located at GSE headquarters, in the centre of Tbilisi. The NCC provides control over the operations of Georgian power system and ensures overall system reliability and proper operation of 500/330/220/110/35 transmission facilities under the normal operational mode, as well as in emergencies. The NCC is equipped with state-of-art technologies and enables Dispatch to get the system information online, ensure remote control and efficient restoration after incidents. The dispatch is able to get accurate information from substations and, as a result of upgraded data base, operatively reacts to any system faults or emergencies.