The World Bank-funded project “Sustainable Transition to Energy Efficiency in Moldova (STEEM)” with a total value of $54.5 million has been officially launched
According to the Ministry of Energy, thanks to these investments in energy efficiency in public buildings and the modernization of the heating system, 46 schools across the country will be renovated, and more than 46 thousand students and teachers will have the opportunity to improve their learning conditions. The STEEM project launch event was attended by representatives of beneficiary organizations and government authorities, who were informed about the stages of project implementation. At the opening of the event, Moldovan Minister of Energy Dorin Junghietu emphasized the importance of the project in the context of the country's energy transition and improving learning conditions for students and teachers. According to him, the renovation and modernization work is expected to reduce energy consumption in the target buildings by more than 50%. In turn, Inguna Dobraja, World Bank Country Director for Moldova, emphasized that the STEEM project is the first in a series of energy efficiency projects to be supported by the World Bank in Moldova, noting that the investments will contribute to the fight against climate change and energy poverty, which is a significant challenge in our country. Moldova's Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun noted that these major investments in school infrastructure reflect the authorities' strong commitment to building a modern, equitable, and sustainable education system. “Thanks to this project, we are not only improving conditions in dozens of schools, but also investing directly in the future of our children,” he said. In this context, Ruslan Surugiu, Director of the Consolidated Unit for the Implementation and Monitoring of Energy Projects (UCIPE), presented the technical and organizational details of the project, highlighting the measures that will be taken, such as: insulation of walls and roofs, replacement of windows and doors, renovation of the internal heating system and improvement of the lighting system, installation of heat pumps, solar thermal collectors, and photovoltaic panels. At the same time, Termoelectrica CEO Iurie Razlovan spoke about another component of the project, which aims to improve the energy efficiency of the heating system in public buildings by installing about 300 individual heat distribution units. The total budget for the “Sustainable Transition to Energy Efficiency in Moldova” project is $54.5 million, of which $50 million will be provided as a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, member of the World Bank Group, and $4.5 million as a grant from the Multilateral Donor Trust Fund “Moldova - Growth, Resilience and Opportunities for Well-being (M-GROW)”. // 08.05. 2025 – InfoMarket.
