Day: October 16, 2025
Power troubles in Abkhazia
There will be no rolling blackouts in Abkhazia this winter — unless temperatures drop sharply, according to Timur Dzhindzholia, head of the state energy company Chernomorenergo.
For several years, Abkhazia has struggled with a severe power shortage caused by uncontrolled cryptocurrency mining. The problem becomes especially acute in autumn and winter, when water levels at the Inguri hydropower plant — the region’s only source of electricity — fall sharply.
To ease the winter deficit, Abkhazia imports electricity from Russia at discounted rates. Still, that has not been enough: in recent years, residents have faced rolling blackouts lasting up to 12 hours a day.
With the arrival of autumn, electricity consumption has started to rise again, Dzhindzholia said. Still, overall demand in 2025 has been lower than in previous years, allowing Abkhazia to buy less electricity from Russia and save money.
However, less than a day after the upbeat statement, the Energy Ministry announced a six-hour power cut schedule in Abkhazia’s Ochamchira district from 16 to 31 October — officially due to planned maintenance on one of the transmission lines.
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Power troubles in Abkhazia