Energy efficiency in public and residential buildings in Moldova will be improved, and the centralized heat supply system in Chisinau will be modernized. The Republic of Moldova will receive a grant of US$4.5 million for the implementation of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund “Moldova - Growth, Resilience and Opportunities for Wellbeing (M-GROW)" for co-financing the project "Sustainable Transition to Energy Efficiency in Moldova (STEEM)", IPN reports.
The US$4.5 million grant agreement will fund two main components. The first component, with a budget of US$1.5 million, will assist the National Center for Sustainable Energy to conduct energy audits, to prepare technical documentation and to obtain IT equipment necessary for the implementation of a sustainable financing mechanism in energy efficiency.
The second component, with a budget of US$3 million, is intended to support the Project Implementation Unit, the development of an information system for monitoring energy efficiency and the professional training of the main stakeholders, through workshops and fact-finding visits.
Through the STEEM project, additional investments of US$35 million will be made through a loan agreement for the energy renovation of 46 schools across the country. The works include thermal insulation, replacement of windows and doors, modernization of lighting and installation of green equipment, such as heat pumps and solar panels, to optimize energy consumption in educational institutions. Consequently, about 46,000 students, teachers and staff from the modernized schools will benefit from improved thermal comfort, air quality and lighting. At the same time, private companies operating in the construction and energy services sectors will have access to new business opportunities.
The project also includes investments of US$15 million to improve the energy efficiency of the thermal energy supply system in public buildings, including in 11 schools, by installing approximately 350 individual heat points and reconfiguring the thermal energy supply network in the centralized system. Furthermore, emergency response measures will be implemented.
The "Sustainable Transition to Energy Efficiency in Moldova" project has a total budget of US$54.5 million, of which US$50 million will be provided in the form of a loan from the IBRD and US$4.5 million in the form of a grant from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund "Moldova - Development, Resilience and Opportunities for Wellbeing (M-GROW)". The project will run from 2024 to 2029 and will be managed by the Enhanced Unit for the Implementation and Monitoring of Energy Projects (UCIPE).
