Georgian Industrial Group Ready to Gift Its Mining Company to State

After the July 16 tragic incident in Tkibuli Mindeli Mine, which left 4 dead and 6 severely injured, the Georgian Industrial Group (GIG), which owns the Saknakhshiri coal mining company, expressed readiness to hand the company to the state.

Being a wholly owned subsidiary of GIG, Saknakhshiri is the only coal mining company in Georgia.

According to GIG, the company comprises operations such as coal mining, coal handling and preparation of run-of-mine coal as well as electricity generation. There are two coal mines in operation, Mindeli and Dzidziguri. Both are part of the Tkibuli-Shaori coal basin which is located in mountainous areas of Imereti close to the region of Racha (western Georgia). The company mines hard coal in underground operations.

On July 16, the GIG released a statement, saying they are saddened by the accident in the mine and offering condolences to the families of the deceased.

“After millions of GEL worth of investments spent by GIG in the Georgian coal mining company, the full production process has been restored, the existing infrastructure has been fully replaced and 1400 miners have been employed, however, due to the specifications of the Tkibuli mines, Saknakhshiri was unable to find an engineering solution which would make coal mining works totally safe,” the statement reads.

In addition, the company stated that despite carrying out serious investments into the company, they are ready to grant Saknakhshiri to the state.

Since April 2018, 10 miners have lost their lives in Mindeli mine.

By Thea Morrison

Photo source: GIG

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