Grid connection permits returned to operators following new regulation in Moldova
In Moldova, more than 109 megawatts (MW) of grid capacity has become available again for renewable energy sources thanks to a new regulation introduced by the Ministry of Energy. According to the new rules, investors who want to connect renewable energy power plants with a capacity above 200 kW to the electricity grid must now place a financial guarantee.
This measure was necessary because many of the previously issued connection permits were requested for speculative purposes or remained unused, thereby blocking access to the grid for other, genuine investors. The new system aims to ensure that permits are issued only to investors with serious intentions.
The financial guarantee will only be reimbursed if the power plant specified in the permit is actually built and commissioned within the defined deadline. If this does not happen on time, the grid operator retains the guarantee and uses the funds to modernise the electricity network.
Exemptions from the requirement
Permit holders are exempt from paying the financial guarantee if they:
- represent an energy community, or
- have won eligibility through a public tender, for example, to build a solar plant with a capacity of up to 1 megawatt (MW), or build a wind power plant of up to 4 MW, and have been awarded a fixed feed-in tariff for 15 years.
Changes to the penalty system
Previously, permit holders who failed to use their permit on time were subject to a fine of 50–70 per cent of the financial guarantee, which was transferred to the state budget. As of 30 June, the new regulation sets a fixed penalty of 1,000 Moldovan lei (about 50 euros) per kilowatt, which is now retained by the grid operator and used for network development.
Transition period
Companies that received permits before the new regulation have been granted a transition period until 30 June 2025. Those who voluntarily relinquished their permits during this time are exempt from the fine. As a result, 30 grid connection permits have so far been returned, with a total capacity of more than 109 MW:
- 2 permits (totalling 64.09 MW) returned to Moldelectrica
- 16 permits (totalling 36.6 MW) returned to Premier Energy Distribution
- 12 permits (totalling 8.55 MW) returned to SA RED Nord
Current situation and outlook
By February 2024, Moldova’s transmission system operator (Moldelectrica) had issued grid connection permits for approximately 1,500 MW in new capacity, mainly for renewable energy projects. However, less than 10 per cent of these are implemented annually. Premier Energy Distribution issued connection permits totalling 329 MW, while Rețele Electrice de Distribuție Nord issued permits for 96.4 MW.
Over the past five years, Moldova’s solar and wind power generation capacity has grown eightfold, reaching 689 MW by May 2025. A recent tender for the construction of large-scale solar and wind farms with a total capacity of 165 MW has just been completed. Another tender is scheduled for autumn, offering up to 173 MW of wind capacity, this time including a requirement for storage solutions with a minimum capacity of 22 MW.
By 2030, the country aims to meet 30 per cent of its electricity consumption from renewable sources and cover 27 per cent of its final energy consumption from renewables.
In 2024, the share of renewable electricity in the national mix was 16.7 per cent, which is expected to increase to 27 per cent by 2025.
Original source: CEENERGYNEWS
