USAID will provide Moldova with an additional $42 million to enhance the country's energy security.
U.S. Ambassador to Moldova Kent Logsdon reported this while speaking on Tuesday at a special event dedicated to the expansion of U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) assistance to strengthen the energy security of Moldova. The U.S. diplomat said it is additional funding from USAID's Moldova Energy Security Activity MESA that will support Moldova's energy sector in addressing current challenges and contribute to a secure energy future. "Combined with an initial U.S. investment of $17 million, since March, MESA will mobilize about $60 million to promote an independent, sustainable and clean energy sector," the U.S. ambassador to Moldova said. He pointed out that Moldova faces serious energy challenges because of its 30-year dependence on natural gas and electricity from Russia. "To meet this challenge, the U.S. and the Moldovan government are working in partnership to achieve a shared vision - to solve the urgent energy crisis that the Moldovan citizens face today, to create sustainable energy security based on diversification of sources and to ensure a transition to clean energy in the future," Kent Logsdon said. He said Moldova could mobilize hundreds of millions of dollars in future investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. The MESA project will help Moldova reach European energy standards and produce electricity that is affordable to citizens. The ambassador noted that since its launch in March, USAID's Moldova Energy Security Activity (MESA) has helped achieve significant progress, including signing contracts to bring gas to Moldova through the Trans-Balkan corridor and registering state company Energocom on a platform in Romania. The additional USAID assistance to strengthen Moldova’s energy security will allow Energocom and Moldelectrica to get new technological solutions, equipment, cybersecurity, system reliability, etc. The head of the USAID mission to Moldova, Scott Hocklander, welcomed the further consolidation of a successful partnership with Moldova, which will lead to the creation of a clean and reliable energy sector, meeting the EU requirements. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spinu also welcomed the continuation of the successful partnership with USAID and the allocation of an additional $42 million to Moldova to strengthen the country's energy security. He said the USAID support provides for integrating Moldova's energy market into the regional and European ones; developing the human potential; investing in the development of renewable energy resources and in energy efficiency projects; purchasing technological solutions and equipment, among which: 10 drones for checking and quickly detecting faults in the power lines; 50 generators for hospitals and other institutions providing public services; energy storage systems for balancing power fluctuations in the energy system of Moldova. The funding will be provided for 4 years by the Moldova Energy Security Activity (MESA), USAID. Deputy Prime Minister highlighted that due to support of USAID within MESA project and other development partners Moldova managed to get rid of the previous 100% dependence on one source, Russian gas for thermal and electric energy production on the right bank of the Dniester River and since December of this year the right bank of the Dniester River does not consume gas from Gazprom anymore. Gas reserves have been created and purchase contracts have been signed to help get through the winter normally. "Now Energocom can buy gas not only for itself, but also for other countries. The company buys electric power on the Romanian market, and soon it may start buying it from other countries," Andrei Spinu said. // 13.12.2022 – InfoMarket
