Mechanisms and support measures for the field of renewable energy in the Republic of Moldova

The electricity system in the Republic of Moldova is characterized by its dependence on imports, which in 2022 provided 82.78% of the demand. In 2022, of the 4.4 TWh electricity demand, 10.72% was supplied either from Ukraine or from the Cuciurgani Moldavskaya GRES (MGRES) gas-fired power plant (61.19%), located in the Transnistrian region, and from Romania 10.86%. Such heavy dependence on external energy resources makes the country's economy vulnerable to any external interruption of energy supply or fluctuations in energy prices. This situation represents a threat to social/energy security and a major risk to the sustainable economic development of the country. At the same time, the ongoing Russian military aggression in the neighboring country, Ukraine, makes the Republic of Moldova face several critical challenges in the energy sector. In this sense, in recent years, the Republic of Moldova has made considerable efforts to improve energy efficiency and develop, in particular, the renewable energy sector, as well as to attract foreign investments in the energy sector. Capitalizing on the potential of renewable energy sources can contribute substantially to reducing dependence on imports. The article was developed within the framework of Subprogram 030101 „Strengthening the resilience, competitiveness, and sustainability of the economy of the Republic of Moldova in the context of the accession process to the European Union”, institutional funding.