OREANDA-NEWS. January 18, 2013. The Strategy has been developed by the Ministry of Economy in cooperation with international experts in the framework of the program backed by the government of Sweden, Vice Premier, Minister of Economy of Moldova Valeriu Lazar informs. The Energy Strategy of Moldova -2030 roots into a concept of Moldova’s integration into the energy system of the EU and the pan-European market on the level of legislation and energy facilities.

According to the Minister, the Strategy is a fundamental document reflecting governmental vision of the development of the national energy sector. It answers most questions by the community and investors about proposals on development of the branch and implementation of energy projects. It identifies a current situation, sets objectives in the energy sector of Moldova and defines actions and measures to achieve them.

Three main goals of the Strategy include ensuring energy safety, creating competitive markets and integrating them into energy systems of the region and Europe, providing environmental sustainability and responding to the climate change. The new strategy offers solutions to problems of energy efficiency, sustainability, development of renewable sources and access of people to modern energy systems.

In the framework of the strategy the government of Moldova suggests to consolidate transporting ties with other states in order to ensure the transit of power and natural gas as well as appraise inner possibilities of Moldova in energy generation. It includes measures to be assumed to implement requirements of the third energy package and remove regulatory and institutional barriers for the development of the integrated energy market. An important priority of the Strategy is to preserve and strengthen a status of Moldova as a transit country for power and natural gas. According to Valeriu Lazar, Moldova transits close to 15% of the overall volume of gas Russia exports, or 20-21 billion cubic metres a year.

The Vice-premier also stood for strengthening of Moldova’s role in power transit. He pointed out importance of construction of new high-voltage lines, connecting electricity systems of Moldova and Romania. Taking into account capacities of the Moldovan hydro –power plant, Moldova may produce much more power than it is required to meet domestic needs, the Minister said. Projects and the plan of actions to be implements in the framework of the Strategy are to be developed and approved till the end of 2013.

In line with the Energy Strategy-2030, Moldova is going to join the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Electricity (ENTSO-E) by 2020. For this purpose Moldova is planning to construct three new high- voltage power transmission lines to connect its system with Romania and one with Ukraine. The construction of the four lines is valued at over USD 135 mln. Besides, the inner power transportation network of Moldelectrica, a state-owned enterprise, is planned to be rehabilitated through modernization of its substations and power transmission lines. 

The rehabilitation will be backed by loans provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and development and the European Investment Bank and by a grant of EUR 7 million from the European Commission. To ensure interconnection of power and gas networks of Moldova with neighbouring states by 2020 the Strategy sets the objective to construct 139- kilometre- long high-voltage network and 40-kilometer-long gas pipeline network, as well as to increase use of renewable energy to 10% by 2015, to 20% by 2020 and to 25% to 2030.

The share of bio-fuel in a total amount of fuel used in Moldova is going to be increased to 4% by 2015 and to 10% by 2020. Inner power production capacities are to be increased by 800 MW by 2020 and by 200 MW by 2030.

The share of power generated from renewable sources is to be increased to 10% a year by 2020 and to 15% a year by 2030. At present Moldova is completely depending on supply of natural gas from Russia, producing no more than one third of power it needs and purchasing the missing amount from the Moldovan hydro-power plant and Ukraine.