Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov, on the sidelines of the fourth Moldova Support Platform Summit, signed two agreements on the provision of preferential loans and grants to increase energy efficiency and the stored gas supplies, IPN reports.

One of them is a memorandum of understanding with the French Development Agency and the German development bank KfW on the extension of cooperation in improving the energy efficiency of public buildings. The sides pledged to invest €68.7 million, €38.7 million of which is grant funding provided by the Government of Germany under an agreement signed with the Government of Moldova, while €30 million is a concessional long-term loan offered by the French Government. One fourth of the total sum will be used to thermally rehabilitate social facilities.

The Government will make its own contribution to improving the energy efficiency of public buildings. The implementation of the projects will start in 2024.

Another document signed by Minister Parlicov refers to an addendum to the €300 million loan agreement to increase the security of gas supplies which was signed with the EBRD on June 23, 2021. The amendment introduces a grant component of 400 million Norwegian kroner (about €34 million) offered by the Government of Norway. This distribution through the agency of the EBRD was identified as the fastest solution for Moldova to benefit from the grant funding for purchasing and storing natural gas for the winter season. The grant component is conditional on the raising of a new additional tranche of €165 million offered by the EBRD.

Another memorandum signed on Tuesday by the European Investment Bank with the Government of Moldova aims to strengthen institutional consolidation in the energy sector and to stimulate investments in the transport, energy, environmental and SME sectors.