The eligible large renewable energy companies will have priority in the issuance of permits for connection to the electricity grid. A decision in this regard was approved by the Cabinet on Wednesday, IPN reports.

The document obliges the system operators to grant access to the grid, for a period of 6 years, to renewable energy producers that benefit from the "fixed price" support scheme. This implies placing large eligible producers’ applications for grid connection permits at the top of the waiting list. If the requested capacities are absent, alternative solutions will be proposed regarding the areas where there is capacity available in the electricity networks.

"The project is necessary when, out of the 96 permits currently valid, with a total capacity of approximately 1600 MW, only 5% were actually used to connect to the electricity grid. This situation limits the possibility of investors with real intentions to develop power plants from renewable sources," reads a press release of the Government.

In the long term, the project will contribute to increasing the share of renewable energy production in the country's electricity mix and fulfilling Moldova's commitment to ensure a minimum of 30% of the necessary electricity is produced from renewable sources by 2030.

For the same purpose, the first tender contests are being held to offer the status of eligible large producer for which the powers of 105 MW for wind installations and 60 MW for photovoltaic installations were allocated.