More than 30 schools, kindergartens and community centers of Moldova will be heated with alternative energy produced from biomass. This became possible owing to the support of the Energy and Biomass Project that is financed by the European Union and co-financed and implemented by UNDP Moldova, Info-Prim Neo reports. According to a communiqué from the project, the kindergarten in Krasnoarmeiskoe village of Hancesti district is one of the 30 institutions that switched to biomass heating. The new heating system was inaugurated on October 30. “I’m glad to see modern heating technologies that, besides having an obvious economic impact, bring multiple social benefits. The money for buying the fuel needed by the kindergarten and other tens of institutions that installed alternative heating systems will not go abroad, but will remain in the country. We create new workplaces and develop new businesses in Moldova,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar. The kindergarten in Krasnoarmeiskoe occupies over 900 square meters. Until now, it was heated by wood-and coal-burning stoves. Because of the inefficient heating system and the high price of coal and wood, the over 70 children and 20 employees of the kindergarten spent the winters in rather cold rooms. The biomass heating system will enable to halve the heating costs. Furthermore, there were created new workplaces. The investments of the community and the Energy and Biomass Project for installing the new heating system totaled about US$129,000, says the communiqué. “The new heating system brings evident benefits to everyone: economic development opportunities for the community, better conditions in schools and kindergartens, new businesses,” said Nicola Harrington-Buhay, UNDP Permanent Representative and UN Resident Coordinator in Moldova. Hancesti district is one of the first eight regions in which the Moldova Energy and Biomass Project launched its activities in 2011. With the project’s support, there were set up alternative biomass-based heating systems in seven villages of Hancesti district. Five schools, two kindergartens and one medical unit will be heated with biomass in Hancesti district starting with the 2012-2013 heating season. The total investment of the project in the district is over US$499,000. The community contributed over 2 million lei. The Energy and Biomass Project works in more than 130 rural communities throughout Moldova to provide reliable and sustainable biomass heating systems by 2014, with the potential to cover the whole country. It is a four-year project implemented during 2011-2014. Its total budget amounts to €14.56 million provided by the European Union (€14m) and UNDP Moldova (€560,000).