Project Summary:

The Moldova Energy and Biomass Project, funded by EU, co-funded and implemented by UNDP, aims to contribute to a more secure, competitive and sustainable energy production in the Republic of Moldova. It lays the basis for the establishment of functional markets for biomass technologies while increasing the use of renewable energy sources, in particular for heating public buildings and households in rural areas. New jobs and income are created and secured through the establishment of value added chains at the local and regional level through the supply of biomass fuel and technologies.

In addition, the project significantly contributes to reducing the greenhouse gas emissions and environmental pollution by replacing the traditional energy sources with readily available biomass fuels, training programmes and a country-wide awareness raising campaign combined with a school education programme aim to change people’s knowledge and attitude towards renewable energy sources, laying the basis for increased uptake of sustainable energy technologies in the future.

Project Goals:

• Improve heating comfort levels in public buildings in rural communities by using readily available waste straw supplied from local agricultural enterprises;
• Stimulate national markets for efficient household heating, industrial cogeneration, and biomass briquetting;
• Raise national capacity in the biomass sector, ensuring sustainability and further replication;
• Increase awareness and acceptance, promote the benefits of renewable energy and ensure the visibility of project results.

Accomplishments:

• Energy and Biomass Project has been promoted in the entire Republic of Moldova, including  ATU Gagauz Yeri.
• 126 villages have been selected to connect their public institutions to alternative biomass heating systems.
• Modern biomass heating systems are being installed in 143 public buildings, such as schools, kindergartens, community centres.
• More than 89.000 people, including 26.519 children, benefit from securely supplied energy and more heating comfort.
• The new biomass heating systems led to the creation of more than 300 new jobs, as well as to the launch of tens of new businesses producing biomass fuel in the form of pellets and briquettes.
• 5.590 representatives of the local public administration and local leaders,  492 suppliers of biomass fuels and 432 operators have got knowledge and new abilities regarding the modern technologies of production and usage of biomass to produce heat.
• One million Euro was provided for the purchase of biomass fuel production and processing equipment through a leasing mechanism.
• 30 local entrepreneurs already benefited  from this program and received the briquetting, pelleting, grinding and balling equipment for the biomass.
• More than 600 families are able to purchase modern biomass boilers, 1300 EUR of the investment costs being reimbursed through project funds. More than 100 applications were already registered and at the moment are in the process to be financed.
• A pilot project in the co-generation field on agricultural biomass was financialy supported to demonstrate the feasibility in the use of the advanced technologies with the purpose of obtaining local energy resources.
• A pilot project in the field of generating and distribution of biomass based heat to the public institutions services was co-financed and launched in Leova district. The scope of the activity is the promotion of some new ways of development of the local markets in using the biomass in energy purposes.
• More than 20,000 school students learned about renewables and energy efficiency.
• Three editions of Moldova Eco-Energetica Award ceremony in the field of renewable energy sources and energy efficiency were successfully organized.
• The general public, central and local public authorities and the private sector are well informed about the opportunities and benefits of renewable energy in general and biomass energy specifically for Moldova.