The Ministry of Energy estimates that clarity will be obtained in the implementation of the project, which involves the installation of new high-efficiency cogeneration gas plants in the city of Chisinau, reports IPN, over the next two to three months.

The Minister of Energy, Dorin Junghietu, specifies that, after the failure of the first auction in 2022, the repeated attempt in 2024 resulted in the receipt of four technical-economic offers: two from companies in Turkey and one each from companies in Azerbaijan and Hungary. Two of the potential contractors were eliminated after it was found that they did not submit the documents in the format requested by the World Bank (WB), which finances the investment.

The official mentioned that the war in Ukraine has significantly changed the market situation: metal prices have increased, and certain types of engines have become difficult to access, with demands for the few major manufacturers worldwide estimated at two to three years. Under these conditions, the bids submitted by the two remaining contractors significantly exceeded the initial budget, estimated at approximately 85 million euros.

Following discussions with one of the contractors, the scenario of purchasing engines from warehouses was proposed, which would allow cost reduction. Minister Dorin Junghietu clarified that the authorities did not agree with this option. “The Bidding Commission has sent the evaluation report to the Bank and we are waiting for a response. Our interest is for this strategically important project to be implemented, but not at the costs proposed by the current contractors,” stated Dorin Junghietu.

The project envisages the construction of two high-performance CHP plants in Chisinau, with an electrical power of about 55 MW and thermal power of 43 Gcal/h.