Georgian State Electrosystem

Georgian State Electrosystem (GSE) is Georgia's single electricity transmission system operator. It coordinates the operation of the national electricity system, balances generation and demand in real time, dispatches electricity, and manages the high-voltage transmission network linking power plants with distribution companies and direct customers. Its system serves electricity generated by hydroelectric, thermal, and wind facilities and connects Georgia with neighboring power systems through cross-border transmission lines. GSE's operational responsibilities are centered on the National Dispatch Center in Tbilisi. The center coordinates electricity-market participants and manages the transmission system in both normal and emergency conditions. This includes maintaining the balance between supply and demand, directing system operations, responding to disturbances, and supporting the reliable movement of electricity across the country. The company also develops relay-protection schemes and investigates network accidents in order to improve system security and operational resilience. The transmission network is maintained through three regional structures covering eastern, western, and southern Georgia. GSE schedules and carries out maintenance on transmission lines and substations, including system-wide planned outages where required. During repairs or emergency interventions, it may temporarily restrict electricity supply to protect infrastructure and enable safe work. These activities make the company a central infrastructure institution rather than a conventional electricity retailer or generation brand. GSE was created in 2002 through the merger of Electrodispetcherizatsia Ltd. and JSC Elektrogadatsema. From December 2002, management was provided by Ireland-based ESB International under a five-year arrangement connected to the World Bank's Wholesale Electricity Market Support Project. After that project concluded in 2007, management responsibility returned to a Georgian board of directors. The company is organized as a joint-stock company owned by Georgia's LEPL National Agency of State Property. Its management rights are transferred to the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development of Georgia. GSE therefore operates as a state-controlled strategic utility within Georgia's electricity sector. Its work supports domestic grid reliability, electricity-market coordination, planned infrastructure maintenance, and regional electricity exchanges through interconnections with Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. The company remains active, with Vano Zardiashvili identified as director general from 2025.

Georgian State Electrosystem was established in 2002 as part of the consolidation of Georgia's electricity-transmission and dispatch functions. The company was formed through the merger of Electrodispetcherizatsia Ltd. and JSC Elektrogadatsema, bringing together organizations associated with electricity dispatch and transmission into a single national operator. Its creation established GSE as the country's sole electricity transmission system operator and gave it responsibility for coordinating the overall operation of the Georgian power system. In December 2002, GSE entered a management phase supported by ESB International, an Irish energy-services company. ESB International obtained a five-year management right through a tender associated with the World Bank's Wholesale Electricity Market Support Project. The arrangement was intended to support the development of Georgia's wholesale electricity-market and transmission-system capabilities. During this period, GSE's operational and institutional development was supported by external management expertise while the company continued to serve as the central operator of Georgia's transmission network. The ESB International management period ended in 2007. After completion of the project, responsibility for managing GSE was transferred to the company's Georgian board of directors. This marked a return to domestic governance while preserving GSE's role as the national transmission and dispatch institution. GSE's core operational model combines system control, dispatch, maintenance, and network development functions. Its National Dispatch Center in Tbilisi balances generation and consumption in real time and coordinates electricity-market participants. The center also supervises the network during ordinary and emergency conditions. GSE's technical maintenance is organized through eastern, western, and southern regional networks. Maintenance work can require scheduled outages on transmission lines and substations, while emergency operations may involve temporary supply restrictions to protect the grid and enable repairs. The company's responsibilities extend beyond the domestic network. GSE manages transmission connections with Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, giving it an important role in regional electricity exchanges and the interconnection of Georgia with neighboring power systems. The network carries electricity from hydroelectric, thermal, and wind power plants to distribution companies and direct customers. GSE also develops relay-protection arrangements and analyzes network accidents, functions that contribute to the security and resilience of the transmission system. GSE is a joint-stock company owned by Georgia's LEPL National Agency of State Property, while management rights are transferred to the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development. Its public ownership and system-wide responsibilities place it at the center of Georgia's electricity infrastructure, although it is distinct from electricity generators, distribution companies, and retail suppliers. The company remained active in the 2020s, with Vano Zardiashvili appointed director general in 2025.

• 2025

  New director general

  [1]Georgian State Electrosystemen.wikipedia.org

  Vano Zardiashvili was appointed director general of Georgian State Electrosystem.

• 2007

  Management returns to Georgian governance

  [1]Georgian State Electrosystemen.wikipedia.org

  Following completion of the World Bank-supported project, management responsibility was transferred from ESB International to GSE's Georgian board of directors.

• 2002

  Establishment through merger

  [1]Georgian State Electrosystemen.wikipedia.org

  Georgian State Electrosystem was created through the merger of Electrodispetcherizatsia Ltd. and JSC Elektrogadatsema, becoming Georgia's single electricity transmission system operator.

• 2002

  ESB International management arrangement begins

  [1]Georgian State Electrosystemen.wikipedia.org

  From December 2002, ESB International began managing GSE under a five-year right awarded through a tender connected with the World Bank's Wholesale Electricity Market Support Project.

A publicly controlled national electricity-grid operator responsible for the reliability, coordination, dispatch, and cross-border operation of Georgia's transmission system.

• Transmission service · 2002

  Electricity transmission

  GSE transmits electricity from hydroelectric, thermal, and wind power plants through Georgia's transmission network to electricity distribution companies and direct customers. The service covers the national high-voltage system and is provided as core regulated infrastructure rather than as a retail electricity product.

• Grid-control service · 2002

  National electricity dispatch

  The National Dispatch Center coordinates Georgia's electricity system in real time. It balances generation and demand, directs the operation of market participants, and manages the transmission system during both routine and emergency conditions.

• Infrastructure operations · 2002

  Transmission-grid maintenance and protection

  GSE maintains transmission lines and substations through regional networks in eastern, western, and southern Georgia. It schedules outages for repairs, develops relay-protection schemes, and analyzes network accidents to support safe and reliable grid operation.

• Regional electricity interconnection · 2002

  Cross-border transmission coordination

  GSE manages Georgia's transmission interconnections with Russia, Turkey, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. These links allow the Georgian system to participate in regional electricity exchanges and require coordination with neighboring power systems.

1. 1Georgian State Electrosystemen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Georgian State Electrosystem official websitegse.com.ge