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• |Moldova
• |Energy Sources

Electricity

Installed Capacity

The electricity system of the Republic of Moldova includes one large thermal power plant located in the Transnistrian region, three heat and power cogeneration (CHP) plants, two hydropower plants and 10 CHP plants within sugar factories. The table below shows the installed capacities of the power plants in the Republic of Moldova as welll as power generation data for 2005.

* Moldovan Regional State Power Station (in the Transnistria Region): Since November 2005, MRPS has been covering demand of the left bank of Nistru River and currently it supplies electricity to the Russian Federation. No data is available regarding the operation of this power plant in 2005.

Due to the obsolete and worn-out condition of generation equipment in the Moldovan Regional State Power Station, the available generation capacity is now estimated at about 1,200 MW. Sugar factories power plants are operated mostly seasonally to cover energy needs at the stage of processing sugar beet.

During 2001-2004 indigenous electricity production in the Right Bank fell from 37% to 26% of electricity supply. The balance was covered by MRPS and imports from Ukraine. In 2005 local electricity generation increased to cover one third of the demand.

[Energy Strategy of the Republic of Moldova until 2020]

Imported electricity reached a maximum of 3,54 TWh in 1997. During the years 2000-2005 electricity supply from MRPS and import from Ukraine stabilized around 2,5 TWh/year. Since November 2005, MRPS has not been supplying electricity to the Right Bank and essentially all imports to that region come from Ukraine.

Simultaneous generation of electricity and heat is organized at CHP-1 in Chisinau with an installed 66 MW electric and 296 MW thermal capacity, CHP-2 in Chisinau with an installed 240 MW electric and 1,397 MW thermal capacity and CHP–Nord in Balti with an installed 24 MW electric and 165 MW thermal capacity. Heat is produced also by heat-only plants and some small CHP plants in smaller cities. Heat generation from fossil energy sources is shown in the figure below. As seen about half of the heat is produced by the three large CHP stations mentioned above.

At the same time the share between the various fuels in the thermal electricity production changed: distributed equally between oil, gas and coal in 1991, the share of gas increased to about 92,33%; the share of coal and oil only represent now 3,4% and 0,7% respectively. The fall of the electricity production was followed by changes in the structure of international exchanges: net exporter in 1991, Moldova was in 2008 a net importer of electricity: 2.740 GWh mainly from Ukraine and Romania.

Electricity generation is made up with a majority of thermal, coal and gas, plants with the balance in CHP plants, providing district heating, and a small amount of hydroelectric generation. The generation assets are in serious need of rehabilitation and modernization as they have deteriorated over the past decade. The problem has been exacerbated from unpaid consumer electric bills for electricity and district heating.

Moldova's district heating system has financial problems. The heating system is not metered and people mostly don't pay their heating bills. The way the system configuration currently stands, individual users cannot be cut off for non-payment. The district heating utility for Chisinau has gone bankrupt and is in 2008 operating out of receivership.

Electricity Balance 2009

Electricity Grid

Moldova has an extensive power transmission and distribution system, but much of the equipment is obsolete and poorly maintained. The electricity grid of the Republic of Moldova operates simultaneously with the Ukrainian electricity system; connected by six high voltage electric lines of 330 kV, while a 400 kV overhead power line connects it to the electricity systems of Romania and Bulgaria. Other three overhead power lines of 110 kV provide interconnection with the Romanian electricity system in an „insular regime”. Strengthening links with the Romanian electricity system remains a continuous effort for the Republic of Moldova.

At the moment, the country’s electricity infrastructure can support the transit to the Balkan countries. The extent intersystem ties with Ukraine, Bulgaria and Romania and could ensure electricity transit at a level of 4-5 TWh /year. However, there is a need to strengthen the network of 330 kV lines in the Odessa region and in the northern part of the country: OHPL 330 kV Novodnestrovsk (Ukraine), Balti (Moldova) and OHPL 400 kV Balti (Moldova), Suceava (Romania).

[Energy Strategy of the Republic of Moldova until 2020]

The Republic of Moldova-European Union Action Plan supports the harmonization process for distribution network design and operational standards in allignment with the European Union standards.

The development of distributed electricity generation based on renewable energy sources can only be achieved if the connection of these generation installations to the electricity distribution grid is ensured. Local electricity systems include photovoltaic installations (installed capacity of over 0,5 kW), wind installations and micro hydropower stations (installed capacity over 10 kW) integrated into centralized electricity distribution networks. Supplied energy will be purchased from the producers and paid for in accordance with applicable legislation, introducing amongst others, feed-in tariffs.

Oil and Natural Gas

Oil

Exploration and Reserves

The share of indigenous production in Republic of Moldova’s oil and gas sector is very small. Oil reserves in Valeni, Cahul district are estimated at 0,5 mln tones. These reserves have been explored since 2004 to an amount of 14,500 tones of oil, at a maximum annual extraction rate of 8,000-9,000 tones. Extracted oil has been processed at the Comrat mini-refinery. Exploitation of these oil reserves is set to resume when a new concession agreement is signed. Natural gas recourses identified in the Southern part of the country (Cantemir district) will be further explored and developed.

Production and Consumption

Moldova does not have any oil refineries, so it is entirely dependent on imports of petroleum products to meet its needs. Almost all of these imports are from Russia, Romania and Ukraine. Oil products comprise about 40% of Moldova's energy imports.

[Energy Strategy of the Republic of Moldova until 2020]

Moldovan Imports of Selected Petroleum Products,2003 - 2007 (in thousan tones)

** includes asphalt, coke, naphtha, paraffin wax, and petrochemical feedstock;

[ National Statistics Office ]

Gas

Reserves and Exploration

In addition to its relatively small oil reserves, Moldova also has relatively small natural gas reserves that were estimated, in 1999, to be just under 900 billion cubic feet (bcf). Almost all of these reserves are located in the Viktorovskoye field in south central Moldova, which the Moldovan government wants to develop with the assistance of foreign investors. The goal is for the field to produce about 175 million cubic feet of gas per year.

Production and Consumption

The national natural gas system includes upstream gas pipelines and a network of connecting pipes of total length about 1,400 km, four compressor stations, 74 distribution stations and several low pressure distribution networks. At the end of 2006 the total length of high, medium and low pressure gas pipelines was about 15,800 km. In addition, Moldova is also an important gas transit country. More than 20 bln m3 of gas were transited through the Republic of Moldova in 2006.

Natural gas supply is highly uneven during the year; consumption during the cold season is 8-10 times higher than in the summer season. To cover seasonal consumption peaks natural gas stored at the Bogorodceni (Ukraine) natural underground storage is used, through the “Drochia” compressor station. Inability to regulate operation regimes diminishes the operation efficiency of this compressor station at low loads. The construction of the Tocuz-Cainari-Mereni main pipeline by the start of the cold season of 2007 will increase security of natural gas supply in the central part of the country, whilst, through connections to this upstream pipeline, security of gas supply for the entire country will increase.

Development of the natural gas sector in the Republic of Moldova falls under the National Program for Gasification in the Republic of Moldova and the National Program “Moldova Village”. Implementation of this program has led to an increase of the number of villages with access to gas from 22 localities in 2000 to 725 in 2006. By 2010 it is foreseen to ensure provision of natural gas service to all residential areas in the country.

In order to avoid monopoly and increase the sector’s efficiency it will be sought to establish a competitive gas market, where consumers will have the right to choose by themselves their suppliers of this type of fuel. It is recognised, however, that a fully competitive market is hard to achieve at this stage, given Moldova’s current gas supply options and its geopolitical condition. In this regard actions will be undertaken towards implementing the gas acquis communautaire, in particular those provisions related to the unbundling of activities and accounts among transportation, dispatch, supply and distribution as well as those related to access to the transmission and distribution networks. To ensure the country’s energy supply security and enhance a truly competitive market, measures will be taken towards new gas supply options, including supply from Middle Asia and the Near East by interconnection to the gas pipeline Nabucco, when constructed, and use of the Giurgiulesti terminal to import liquefied gas.

[Energy Strategy of the Republic of Moldova until 2020]

Renewable energy

Moldova is a net energy importer; domestic sources cover only about 3 % of primary energy demand. Given the lack of domestic energy resources, high economic dependency on the energy imports and their growing prices renewable energy should gain a high priority in satisfying the country’s energy demand.

Development of RES is in its early stage in Moldova. In 2005, the share of renewables in energy consumption was 71,4 ktoe, just 3,6% of the total primary energy supply. Hydro energy and biomass have the largest share, while solar and wind energy have been inadequately explored. Biomass, hydro energy, solar and wind energy are available in the territory of the Republic of Moldova. The theoretical potential for these renewable sources, excluding geothermal, has been estimated at 2,7 mtoe.

The Energy Strategy 2020 foresees to increase the share of RES in the country’s energy balance up to 6% in 2010 and 20% in 2020. If those targets are reached, an annual reduction of CO2 emissions of approximately 167-210 thousand tones of CO2 equivalent will be achieved. A substantial part of this reduction can be cashed in as monetary benefit through CDM projects and/or trading CERs through the ET Scheme.

The Energy Stratgegy 2020 foresees the development of the energy potential of biomass (production of biofuel from cereals, sugar sorghum and oily technical cultures - rape, sunflower, grape seeds from wine industry etc.), solar energy by conversion to electricity and heat, wind, hydropower, and, in the future, new sources of energy.

Specific objectives of the Energy Strategy 2020:

• preparing and improving legislation related to the development of renewable energy sources by establishing a transparent and efficient national legal framework, which will include incentives approved by international practice;
• development of the scientific, technical, economic, informational, financial and production potential;
• identifying and removing barriers to renewable energy sources implementation;
• developing an efficient and continuous mechanism for implementation of the Strategy, which will include scientific research and development, estimation of renewable potential, launching pilot projects and inclusion of this potential into the economic cycle;
• establishing conditions for the stable development of the energy industry based on RES and increasing the amount of RES use in the national economy;
• increasing the level of professional training of personnel in this field;
• increasing public awareness of the importance of RES use for the sustainable development of the country;
• establishing a national fund for promoting renewable energy;
• introducing the necessary legal framework for using biofuel and biofuels mix for transportation and agriculture sectors, taking into account the relevant objectives and targets of the EU;
• use of liquid (ethanol and bio diesel) and solid biofuel obtained from renewable sources in order to reduce energy resources import.

The national legislation is yet to transpose Directive 2001/77/EC on the promotion of electricity produced from RES in the internal electricity market and Directive 2003/30/EC on the promotion of the use of biofuels or other renewable fuels for transport.

[Energy Strategy of the Republic of Moldova until 2020]

Wind Energy

According to a country profile issued by EBRD on the use of renewable energy in Moldova, there is a good potential for wind power development in the country. Even though, no wind turbines operate in the country, about 10 % of the territory can be used for wind power development. The total potential wind power capacity is approximated at 1.000 MW. Howver, better documentation is needed. In addition to the poor measurement there is another obstacle to the use of the wind energy, namely the widespread belief that the country wind resources are poor.

Areas with high potential wind energy are as follows: in the north-east of the country, separate areas on the Podolsk Hills in the middle reaches of the Dniester river near the border with Ukraine; in the south-east, separate areas near the Dniester estuary; in the west, separate areas in the Carpathians piedmonts near the border with Romania.

The Energy Strategy 2020 forsees to intall approx. 30 MW wind capacity by 2015, which is estimated to amount to a total investment o f approx. 40 mln. Euro.

[ EBRD; AEER]

Solar Energy

The average solar radiation in Moldova amounts to approximately 4450 h/year. (In fact, the real value is 2100-2300 h/year, approximately 50% of the maximum theoretical period). The best solar season is from April to September, representing more that 75% of the total annual solar period.

Solar energy is used as much as the wind energy in Moldova, which means that with the exception of some solar-heating plants with small thermal power, it finds no significant application. Solar radiation is measured only in the capital Chisinau. monthly and annual data on solar radiation incidence is presented in the Tables 1 and 2.

A solar radiation map has been issued by the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology. There are good opportunities for solar energy development, and experiences from the past can be used. In the Renewable Energy Resource Assessment, the EBRD estimates domestic solar water heating for public buildings and hotels, passive solar systems, and stand alone systems for sites far from the grid, to be the most promising applications.

1. Monthly and annual total solar radiation incident on horizontal surface, MJ/m2

2. Monthly and annual direct solar radiation incident on surface normal to sunlight beams, MJ/m2

[ EBRD]

Geothermal Energy

The geothermal energy resource potential is estimated to be poor. A few wells with the temperature between 30° C and 50° C were discovered in the southeast, near the town of Kagul, and in the west, at the foothill of the Carpathian Mountains, near the town of Ungheni. However, no wells with high temperature thermal water are available in Moldova.

[ EBRD]

Biomass Energy

The table below shows the overall biomass resource data for Moldova.

According to the EBRD, in addition to coal and wood sunflower stems, shelled maize cobs, maize stalks and other agricultural wastes are currently used for heating. However, since the efficiency of the domestic stoves is below 50 %, biomass is used inefficiently.

The technical biomass resource potential is estimated in Moldova as more than 370 thousand toe per year. Yet, relatively high investment costs represent the biggest obstacle to construction of new biogas plants. Coal supplies, traditionally used for heating of the public buildings, have been cut back considerably. This has often resulted in the closure of public buildings in the winter period. District heating plants operate only in big cities.

A GEF-Project is being implemented, where the coal-based heating systems are replaced by those burning straw in 10 selected rural communities (see section Energy Related Funds and Programs).

Hydro Power

By absolute indices of potential hydro resources Moldova is the last among the CIS countries. The table below provides an overview of the hydro power resources in the country.

[ EBRD ]

The most important river in Moldova is the Dniester (known in Moldova as the Nistru River) which rises in Ukraine and flows south-eastward through Moldova (forming part of Moldova's border with Ukraine) before re-entering Ukraine and emptying into the Black Sea. The Dniester basin covers 57% of the territory of Moldova (including the entire Transnistrian region). Major tributaries of the Dniester in Moldova include the Reut, Ichel, Bic, and Betna rivers, as well as the Cuciurgan River, which also forms part of Moldova's border with Ukraine.

The second most important Moldovan river is the Prut, a major tributary of the Danube, which forms Moldova's border with Romania. The Danube itself only briefly forms part of Moldova's southern border (where the Prut merges) but the Danube basin covers 35% of Moldova's territory. There is also a third watershed in Moldova, the southern basin, which includes several relatively small rivers that flow into the Black sea between the Danube and the Dniester. The largest river in this watershed is the Kogilnik.