Moldovan authorities present 2050 energy strategy, do not rule out constructing small nuclear power plant

CHISINAU. Sept 12 (Interfax) - The Moldovan Energy Ministry has prepared an energy strategy until 2050 which provides for a 50% reduction in electricity imports and a multiple increase in local generation, the country's Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu said.

"We aim for over 80% of electricity to be produced locally from renewable sources by 2050 [currently, it is around 30%]. [The strategy provides for] new interconnections with Romania and the European Union, an exchange capacity of 2,000 MW and the availability of gas and electricity reserves," Junghietu was quoted as saying at a strategy presentation by the state agency Moldpres.

A priority area will be the modernization of the district heating systems of Chisinau and Balti, Junghietu said. The authorities also propose supporting the most vulnerable citizens with compensation, developing infrastructure for electric vehicles, launching electrified trains and installing 100,000 smart meters in the country's households by 2027.

According to the publication mold-street.com, the cost of the measures planned in the strategy exceeds 41 billion euros, or over 1.5 billion euros per year for the period of its implementation. Most of the investment - 17.5 billion euros - will be required for the transition from hydrocarbons to renewable and alternative energy sources, as well as for expanding and modernizing the electricity transmission system. More than 9 billion euros will be allocated for reconstructing and renovating buildings and other energy efficiency measures. Another 8.5 billion euros are provided for increasing the capacity of electricity sources.

Overall, the strategy provides for a reduction in the share of energy resource imports in the energy balance structure from 77% to 40% by 2050 by reducing hydrocarbon consumption and completely phasing out coal by 2030.

It is planned that by 2050, Moldova's own generation capacity will exceed 5,000 MW, doubling compared to the current available energy sources, including the Moldavskaya GRES power plant in Transdniestria. A twelvefold increase in wind power plant capacity to 2,600 MW is also envisaged.

In addition, the strategy's authors do not rule out constructing a small modular reactor with a capacity of 300 MW in Moldova by 2050.