Republic of Moldova

11 schools and kindergartens from Stefan Voda will benefit from straw-based heating

September 29, 2011, Chisinau - 9 villages from Stefan Voda Rayon which will get their public institutions connected to biomass-based heating systems have signed today Memorandums of Understanding with the United Nations Development Programme.

Stefan Voda Rayon is one of the first 4 regions in the Republic of Moldova in which the Energy and Biomass Project, funded by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Moldova, has launched its activity. A number of 11 schools and kindergartens from these 9 villages (Ermoclia, Olanesti, Palanca, Viisoara, Talmaza, Copceac, Popeasca, Crocmaz, Rascaieti) will be heated during the winter time using the locally produced energy.  

“Although Stefan Voda Rayon is fully supplied with gas, it is also one of the first rayons which accessed the alternative energy sources. I am proud that thanks to the Energy and Biomass Project, 9 villages from Stefan Voda will heat their kindergartens and schools with energy produced based on cereal waste”, stated Nicolae Orlov, Deputy Chair of the Stefan Voda Rayon Council during the memorandums’ signing event.

“In the context of domestic price increase for gas, we should harness our own energy sources. Studies have proved that straw and cereal waste represent one of the most secure and easy to access alternative energy sources for the Republic of Moldova. Annually, the Republic of Moldova produces, in average, 700 thousand tones of straw – the equivalent (from energy point of view) of about 250 million m3 of natural gas or 25% of the country’s annual consumption”, asserts Mihai Cuiban, the Senior Specialist of the Energy Efficiency Agency.

On September 29-30, other 8 villages from Leova, Cantemir Rayons and Gagauzia ATU will sign Memorandums of Collaboration with UNDP Moldova. It should be noted that these are the first regions in which the Energy and Biomass Project has launched its activity. By 2014, all the rayons of the Republic of Moldova will be covered – all in all, at least 130 rural public institutions will be connected to the heating systems based on agricultural waste, especially, straw.

The energy produced from own sources has a number of benefits. It decreases the dependency on imports, increases the energy security of the country, implies lower costs, and enables the development of new business and creation of new jobs. Besides, the renewable sources of energy reduce the greenhouse gas effects and environment pollution. The Moldova Energy and Biomass Project will last for 4 years and will be implemented during 2011-2014. The total budget of the project accounts for 14.56 million euro, granted by the European Union (14 million euro) and UNDP Moldova (560.000 euro).

For more information, please contact: Ina Prisacaru-Zglavuta, Communication and Mass-media Specialist, Energy and Biomass Project, Tel: (+373 69)141006, ina.zglavuta@undp.org