At the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), the State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy participated in a high-level ministerial panel discussion entitled: “The vital role of the green transition in promoting effective actions to combat climate change”. The event was also attended by representatives of the central energy and environmental authorities of Oman, Yemen, Palau and Antigua and Barbuda.

 

During her intervention, Carolina Novac spoke about the impact of the energy crisis of previous years on the energy sector in Moldova, which at the same time accelerated its transformation and opened up more opportunities for economic development by strengthening the production of energy from renewable sources.

 

In this context, the State Secretary emphasized the importance of launching the first tenders for the construction of large wind and photovoltaic parks in the Republic of Moldova, and granting the status of “eligible large producer” is an essential step for stimulating the production of green energy, Carolina Novac pointed out in her speech.

 

“The Republic of Moldova is firmly committed to the energy transition process and will continue to promote policies and measures that support the development of renewable energy sources, in order to ensure a sustainable future for all our citizens. At the same time, I recommend that the countries participating in this panel develop clear measures to reduce the risks of investors in renewable energy sources, emphasizing that a stable and predictable framework is essential for attracting investments in this sector,” said Carolina Novac.

 

Carolina Novac also mentioned the development of renewable energy communities as a key tool in ensuring distributed energy generation, however, in this context the main barrier encountered in the green transition process could be the lack of balancing capacities of energy networks. At the same time, Carolina Novac thanked external partners, especially the USAID project “Energy Security of the Republic of Moldova” (MESA) for the financial support for the development of the necessary infrastructure for electricity storage and the strengthening of balancing capacities.

 

Carolina Novac also mentioned an important legislative project that provides for the imposition of a public service obligation on transmission and distribution system operators to grant priority access to the electricity grid to eligible large producers.

 

At the same time, the Secretary of State highlighted some of the measures that have already been implemented in the Republic of Moldova to encourage the green transition, including amendments to the Land Code to allow the installation of renewable energy sources on agricultural land and the project to identify areas with eminent wind potential, implemented with the support of the USAID Moldova project "Energy Security of the Republic of Moldova" (MESA).

 

Also today, the Republic of Moldova joined the Global Alliance for the Green Economy (GAGE), which includes 89 member states, which will contribute to attracting investments in the green energy sector.

 

During the COP29 Conference, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Carolina Novac, held discussions with the Head of the Governance and Partnerships Unit, Shishir Seth, and the Head of the Operations Unit, Joshua Wycliffe, from the International Solar Alliance (ISA), focused on the promotion of solar energy.

 

The parties discussed the preparations for the signing of the accession agreement between the Republic of Moldova and the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which will take place in the context of the opening of the Embassy of the Republic of Moldova in New Delhi, India. The agreement is expected to be signed in December 2024, and the Republic of Moldova will thus become the 121st member of the ISA, thus strengthening the country's commitment to promoting solar energy and the green transition globally.

 

At the same time, the State Secretary informed the ISA representatives about the efforts of the Government of the Republic of Moldova to support the development of the renewable energy sector, with an emphasis on solar energy sources, and about the plans for international collaboration for the implementation of projects in this area.