Foreign investors are waiting for the auction of 1654 MW to be produced from renewable sources

According to data from Moldelectrica, there are currently 44 registered investment projects in the field of renewable energy production, which would qualify for the tender, with a total power of over 1000 MW. About 80% of these projects concern wind energy. Projects developed by foreign companies target about 50% of the 1000 MW requested.

However, in order to carry out their projects on the territory of our country, these investors must obtain the so-called eligible producer status, which is offered in the auctions that would distribute the 165 MW allocated by Government Decision No 401 of 2021 for such projects.

But according to Marcela Lefter of the American Chamber of Commerce in Moldova, the organization of the auction is delayed, which discourages investors in the field. “Moldova’s energy strategy shows that by 2020 we should have 400 MW produced from renewable sources. Also, by this date, a first interconnection line with Romania (LEA400kV Vulcanesti-Chișinău) should have been completed. Today, none of this has been achieved,” Marcela Lefter told the Economic Council Secretariat.

At the same time, according to the AmCham representative, the business community is concerned about the Government’s intention to increase the quota for the “fixed tariff” support scheme of 90 euro MWh for small renewable energy projects up to 1MW for the next 15 years. The business sector argues that only the application of competitive mechanisms – such as the tendering – can reduce the impact of the tariff on the final consumer.

According to Government Decision No 401 of 2021, the Government must auction 105 MW produced by wind turbines and 60 MW produced by solar energy.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund, and the International Finance Corporation’s Investment Climate Reform Project funded by the Government of Sweden’s International Development Agency.

The Secretariat of the Economic Council to the Prime Minister is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, funded by the UK Government’s Good Governance Fund.