A group of journalists from the Republic of Moldova familiarized themselves with the operation of energy and natural gas markets in Romania during a study visit conducted on 15-18 July 2023. The visit was organized as part of the programme “Addressing the impacts of the energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova”, financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Moldova.

The team held discussions with the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Energy, Pavel-Casian Nițulescu, and visited the Vidraru hydropower plant, as well as the national gas and electricity operators, Transgaz and Transelectrica. They also paid visits to the OPCOM Energy Exchange, the largest wind farm in Europe, and the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant. Here, they joined the signing ceremony of a memorandum on the Republic of Moldova’s participation in the construction of future nuclear reactors.

The journalists documented Romania's energy mix, policies for the promotion of renewable energy, and energy efficiency in the European Union, as well as their adaptation to the Romanian market. At the Ministry of Energy, they learned about plans for the construction of new interconnection lines between the two countries, so as the possibility of gas storage on the Romanian territory.

The Vidraru hydropower plant, the fifth largest in Romania, is used to balance the national energy system when photovoltaic and wind capacities do not provide enough energy. The hydropower plant has 4 hydro aggregates of 55 MW each and generates 400 GWh/year.

The coverage of renewable energy imbalances was also one of the main topics of discussion with the management of the OPCOM Energy Exchange. Established in 2000 as a daughter company of the national system operator, Transelectrica, OPCOM offers several markets: a market of long-term contracts, the Next Day Market (PZU), the Intraday Market (PI) working in 15-minute intervals, and a separate market for imbalances. OPCOM is opening a branch in the Republic of Moldova to connect the Moldovan market to the Romanian and, respectively, the European ones.

Representatives at the largest wind farm in Europe, located at Fântânele-Cogealac and established with an investment of 1.2 billion Euros, gave journalists a tour and explained how wind energy is integrated into the Romanian and European energy markets. They explained that the park has 240 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 600 MW, equivalent to the daily consumption of the Republic of Moldova. In its most successful year, the wind farm produced 1.33 thousand MW and currently provides about 10% of the renewable energy in Romania. This reduces the annual Romanian GHG emissions by approximately 1.3%. The energy is sold on OPCOM at market price. To reduce the impact of imbalances, which reach 33% of the electricity produced, the owners of the park are investing in new energy storage capacities.

Journalists on the study visit were selected from participants of a training organized by UNDP and EU to strengthen mass-media capacities in Moldova on thorough and impartial reporting on energy topics.

"It was mega-intense and interesting. At times, we were melting from the heat and the amount of information, but it was definitely, 100% worth the effort. The energy field is a priority, and thanks to you, journalists have the opportunity to see with their own eyes the best practices and technologies", said Iulia Budeci, producer of a TV show at TV8.

"We had an extremely intense schedule and the information received is of great help to us. We hope to have prompt answers to other questions on the subject as well. It remains for us to reflect as objectively as possible the issues related to energy interconnection and the plans in this regard", noted Ion Chișlea, editor-in-chief of the Business Class magazine.

With a budget of 13 million euros allocated by the European Union, the "Addressing the impacts of the energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova" programne, implemented by UNDP, supported the creation of the compensatii.gov.md platform and will launch a campaign to replace old household appliances with new, energy-efficient ones. The programme finances the installation of photovoltaic panels in households and a few hospitals, as well as the change of central heating systems in several blocks to much more efficient horizontal distribution systems.

In addition, the program provides support for the transposition of the EU's Third Energy Package into both primary and secondary legislation, as well as the transposition of several Directives and Regulations of the Clean Energy for All Europeans package. The package addresses the performance and energy efficiency of buildings, renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, good governance and electricity market design.