ENKA Company appealed to the Sector Economy and Economic Policy Committee of the Parliament of Georgia. The investor company claims that the authors of the petition against Namakhvani HPP submitted to the parliament mislead society.

“We believe that the petitioners mislead the population by claiming that the Namakhvani HPP project threatens the Rioni River valley and the residents of Lechkhumi and Kutaisi. Their claims are groundless and lack solid arguments. We believe that it is a targeted campaign aimed at disrupting the USD 800 million-worth investment project,” ENKA statement reads.

ENKA states that it has all the necessary permits issued by the relevant agencies. The investor company denies any environmental risks. “The project is implemented following the highest safety standards,” the company states.

ENKA Company invested USD 800 million in the project. The company is obliged to construct the Kutaisi-Alpana-Mamisoni road based on the agreement signed between the Georgian government and the investor. The Namakhvani HPP cascade construction by ENKA Renewables would be carried out on the Rioni River in the Tskaltubo and Tsageri municipalities. It is one of the largest energy projects, and its total installed capacity amounts to 433 MW. The cascade project envisages the construction of two dams in the Rioni Gorge.

Civil activists filed a petition with 10,000 signatures to the Parliament on February 1. The protesters demand a moratorium on the hydropower plants’ construction and fair energy policy.