Twenty projects on local renewable energy conducted through energy, biomass project in Moldova in first half of 2016

Chisinau, 16 September /MOLDPRES/ - The Board of the Energy and Biomass Moldova Project (PEBM), led by Deputy Prime Minister, Economics Minister Octavian Calmic, today considered a report on the activity of PEBM II in the first six months of 2016, as well as the progress of the market consolidation projects.    

According to the Economics Ministry’s press service, Octavian Calmic stressed that the Energy and Biomass Moldova Project, financed by the European Commission and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), helps producing safer, more competitive and more sustainable energy in Moldova through support directed to the most viable and available local source of renewable energy, and namely biomass and agricultural waste.      

“Ensuring the state’s energy security, including by diversifying energy sources, is one of the government’s goals. In the context, by carrying out such projects, we are set to establish a share of renewable energy of about 20 per cent of the necessary volume for Moldova till 2020. This is an ambitious project; yet, the last years’ results prove that this objective can be achieved,” the economics minister noted.    

As for the outcomes of the first half-year of PEBM work, project manager Victor Cotruta said that, on the concerned period, 15 heating systems and five solar warm water systems had been completed, and another five projects were under implementation. ”In the first half-year, 39 community initiatives from the rural environment, of which six ones in the Transnistrian region, were also assessed and approved for implementation. Moreover, in the second half of the year, we are set to finalize and put into operation another ten heating systems and nine warm water solar systems, as well as to approve over 30 community initiatives of the overall 60 under evaluation,” the project manager said.     

The board members considered also the progress made in carrying out the programmes on subsidization of households, creation of public-private partnerships for providing services of heating of public units, etc.  

Also, the participants in the meeting discussed problems appearing in the process of implementing the project, in particular, the low interest on behalf of the local public administration and district authorities in implementing projects on heating based on biomass through public-private partnerships, reduced motivation of thermal centres because of low salaries, etc. In the context, Deputy Prime Minister Octavian Calmic said that the Economics Ministry and subordinated institutions  presently work on an action plan aimed at both involving the local authorities more actively and at settling the problems dealing with wage payment, working conditions, etc.   

(Reporter A. Mardare, editor M. Jantovan)