Representatives of multiple institutions and enterprises in the energy sector, civic activists, specialists from APC and APL, as well as experts participated on Tuesday, March 12, in public consultations to discuss the draft law on the promotion of cogeneration and centralized heat supply systems, held by the Ministry of Energy.
The draft law aims to strengthen and develop the existing centralized thermal energy supply systems (SACET), in the context of the policies promoted to make the consumption of energy resources more efficient and promote European practices.
The project includes several changes of major interest for all stakeholders and foresees:
- The possibility for thermo-energy units to invest in the reconstruction of internal systems, the provision of individual meters for each apartment to facilitate the implementation of horizontal distribution, the establishment of unitary district heating zones in localities where SACET exists, with a prohibition on disconnection from the network, the introduction of the obligation to (re)connect to SACET buildings of public institutions, newly-built blocks and those undergoing major renovations.

- Promotion of renewable energy sources, including through the contribution of thermo-energy units for the integration of renewable sources of thermal energy production at the consumers'.
- Obligation of the SACETs to procure waste heat from industrial activities, to examine solutions for energy recovery from waste and thermal energy storage elements in the framework of SACET development plans.
Taking into account the importance of this project for the development of the energy sector in the Republic of Moldova, as well as the potential major impact of some of the proposed changes, the consultations decided to hold a new round of consultations at the end of March.