The Costesti Hydropower Plant may double its generating capacity through new projects utilizing renewable energy sources
The Ministry of Energy announced this, noting that the Costesti Hydropower Plant intends to build a floating wind farm and a floating photovoltaic station, as well as energy storage facilities. These projects were presented to Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu during his visit to the Costești Hydropower Power Plant. The company presented technical and economic feasibility studies for the construction of a floating photovoltaic power plant and a wind power plant with a capacity of 5 to 10 MW each, as well as energy storage facilities. According to the company's administrator, Igor Cibotaru, this will enable the plant to significantly increase production and become an important player in the electricity market, including the balancing market, after the launch of short-term markets. The projects will be submitted for approval to the company's board of directors. The relevant projects will be implemented using the own funds of the state-owned enterprise “Costești Hydropower Plant,” accumulated in previous periods as a result of the distribution of net profits allocated to the development of the enterprise. As a result of the implementation of these projects, the Costești Hydropower Plant will diversify its sources of electricity production (water, air, sun), reduce its dependence on a single source of production, and increase electricity production, which will contribute to ensuring Moldova's energy security. Currently, the Costești hydroelectric complex has a 16 MW generator, which was commissioned in 1978. The maximum power output of the Costești Hydropower Plant is about 65 million kilowatt-hours per year, which is about 6% of the total electricity generated on the right bank of the Dniester River. The power plant generates electricity in accordance with decisions taken by the Moldovan-Romanian operational group for the operation of the Costești dam, based on the volume of water accumulated in the reservoir. When the water level is insufficient, the hydroelectric generators operate alternately. The Costești Reservoir is the second largest after the Dubăsari Reservoir. It stretches 70 km upstream along the Prut River, covers an area of 59 square kilometers, has a volume of 1 billion 285 million cubic meters, and a maximum depth of 43 meters. // 17.07.2025 — InfoMarket.
