The first biomass heating system under the Energy and Biomass Project II was launched today in a kindergarten in Ciumai village, Taraclia district. The kindergarten is the second institution in the community to use green energy, after the vocational school had been connected to a biomass-fired system in 2014, during the first phase of the project.  The project is financially supported by the European Union and implemented by UNDP.

“We are happy that both the school and kindergarten are heated with green energy and we are not going to stop here. We will move steadily towards local energy autonomy, by attracting private investments or donor support and this will bring to our community energy security and development opportunities”, tells Tatiana Turcan, mayor of Ciumai village.

Hence, 152 children and teachers will benefit from reliable heating generated by green energy produced in Moldova. The newly installed boiler has a 150kw capacity and will cover an area of about 1,200 m2.

The kindergarten in Ciumai joins more than 160 public institutions all over the country where biomass-fired systems have been installed thanks to the European investments made under the Energy and Biomass Project. „ I am particularly happy that the Taraclia rayon is participating so actively in our project. This new biomass heating system in the Kindergarten in Ciumai will directly benefit children and teachers by making their environment more comfortable.  There is also a great opportunity to make financial savings and use locally produced green energy”, says Aneil Singh, Head of Operations Section,  European Union Delegation.

The total investments of the Energy and Biomass Project for the kindergarten and vocational school in Ciumai village amount to 138,377 EUR, and apr. 15,000 EUR were invested by the community.

The vocational school no.13 from Ciumai was connected to a biomass heating system during the first phase of the Energy and Biomass Project. These investments benefits 120 students and 38 teachers and its success mad the community to continue in the same manner.

“Together, we have achieved important milestones, towards sustainable development. You are part to the development of a new green sector which, along with the reduction in the use of imported energy, underpin the launch of new businesses, creation of new jobs and supports Moldova’s journey  towards a cleaner energy future”, said Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Moldova.

The second phase of the Energy and Biomass Project replicates the first phase and aims to connect 80 public institutions to heating systems using Moldovan biofuel and to install 21 solar collectors for hot water production mostly in kindergartens and health centers. The project that was re-launched in 2015 will also provide support to the development of biofuel production and energy service delivery in this sector.

From 2011 to 2016 the consumption of the energy produced from renewable sources in Moldova reached 13% of the total consumption, 12% of it being biomass energy. „In 2011 the production of renewables was only 4%, and the dependence on imports was quasi-total. The 144 heating systems installed in public institutions with the support of the Energy and Biomass Project and the biofuel offer of pellet and briquette producers played a significant role in the increase of solid biomass energy in consumption”, reports Mihail Stratan, director of the Energy Efficiency Agency.

The 2015-2017 Energy and Biomass Project II is a EUR 9.41 million project granted by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme. This continues the Phase I of the Energy and Biomass Project, implemented during 2011-2014, with a total budget amounts to 14.56 million Euro, allocated by the European Union (14 million Euro) and UNDP (560 000 Euro).

Download the press-release in Russian.