Leova is the only district in Moldova where the services to supply bioenergy are provided by an economic entity. This pilot model of public-private partnership was launched on the initiative of the EU – UNDP Energy and Biomass Project. The contract for providing integrated bioenergy supply services was signed in 2014 by the Leova District Council and Green Farm SRL, which is the private partner selected at a contest, IPN reports.

According to a communique of the project, 19 schools, kindergartens and the building of the Leova District Council were connected to the biomass heating system, the costs for supplying biofuel and for operating and maintaining the heating plants being covered by the private partner. The total investment will be €600,000. After the 19 new heating plants were built up, Leova district became a leader by the number of biomass plants in public institutions. Under the agreement, the heating plants will be managed by the company during an 11-year period.

The second stage of the Energy and Biomass Project aims to develop new models of public-private partnerships in seven districts. “In several days, we will launch a contest to select the districts that want to implement models of public-private partnerships in their communities. Afterward, the groups of experts employed by the project will carry out feasibility studies for each district apart so as to choose the models for providing bioenergy supply services by the private entrepreneur,” said manager of the Energy and Biomass Project Alexandru Ursul.

The Energy and Biomass Project 2 is a three-year project implemented in 2015-2017. It has a total budget of €9.41 million provided by the EU and is implemented by the UNDP.