Energy produced from biomass accounts for 12.7 per cent of all domestic energy consumption in Moldova

Chisinau, 18 May /MOLDPRES/ - The energy produced from biomass in the residential sector of Moldova has reached the capacity of 20 MW, comparable to the one of the North Thermal Electric Power Station, the director of the Agency for Energy Efficiency (AEE), Mihail Stratan, told a news conference today.

The official noted that, so far, 920 families had received subsidies for setting boilers working on biomass within the programme on subsidizing the cost of biomass boilers for households, micro-enterprises and small enterprises, launched in 2012. Subsidies worth over 20 million lei have been provided in all. The programme was resumed on 17 May, almost 300 applications were submitted by the Agency for Energy Efficiency and the largest possible number of applications was thus exhausted.  

AEE has a sum able to cover 150-160 applications, with subsidies of 500 or 1,300 euros, depending on the boiler set. Stratan said, however, that all applications would be considered, and if they met the criteria of the project, solutions of co-financing, including from domestic funds, would be sought. ‘’The European Union and the United Nations Development Programme provided financial means to cover the increasing demand. Starting from this year, we will try to supplement financing from national funds, so that we can ensure assistance for more  applicants,’’ Mihail Stratan also said.  

‘’Data by the National Statistics Bureau (BNS) show an 8-per cent diminution of energy dependence on energy resources’ imports. The biomass accounts for 12.7 per cent of all the domestic energy consumption,’’ the AEE director said.  

‘’The subsidization of private owners is just a small component part of the Energy and Biomass project. We endeavor to cover all the spectrum dealing with energy from renewable resources in Moldova and, respectively, we set these boilers in public institutions, especially in schools, kindergartens, hospitals, mayoralties,’’ the manager of the EU-UNDP project, Victor Cotruta, said. He stressed that the demand for biomass boilers was on the rise.

The share of energy produced from renewable sources is scheduled to reach about 20 per cent of the gross domestic consumption by 2020, according to Moldova 2020 National Development Strategy.  

(Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcaza)