More than 65% of the solid household waste generated in the municipalities of Chisinau and Balti can be transformed into energy, according to a study carried out with the support of USAID through the Moldova Energy Security Activity (MESA) Project.

“We have clear targets for decarbonization, to reach zero net carbon emissions by 2050, we have targets for 2030, energy and climate. Given that we do not have fossil resources, energy production technologies from waste could provide a net added value for our economy and for the energy system”, said Carolina Novac, state secretary of the Ministry of Energy.

The study shows that in Chisinau it would be possible to use an electricity generation facility with a capacity of 46 MW, and 12 MW for Balti.

The study also found that the share of biodegradable waste, such as food scraps, paper, cardboard, textile materials, leather, phytotechnical and wood waste, makes up about 64.7% of the household waste, which indicates potential for obtaining electrical and thermal energy from waste.

Moldova has committed to increasing electricity production from renewable sources from 6% to 30%, and employing new technologies to produce energy from waste could contribute to these goals.