All solar power plants developed under Moldova’s first renewables auction are now operational, the country’s Ministry of Energy has said.
The auction, which ran from August 2024 until March 2025, aimed to procure 60 MW of solar and 105 MW of wind energy projects. Shortly after the auction closed for applicants, the ministry announced that the auction was oversubscribed, receiving 42 bids including 34 for a total 236.61 MW of solar.
The ministry then selected 11 winners which fully covered the capacity put up for auction.
In August, the government offered these investors large producer status, facilitating the signing of a 15-year fixed price guarantee with SA Energocom, a state-owned company that is Moldova's central electricity supplier, effective from the date of commissioning.
Fixed prices were set at MDL 1.16/kWh for the solar projects and MDL 1.32/kWh for the wind projects. The awards compare to the auction’s ceiling price of MDL 1.67/kWh for solar and MDL 1.50/kWh for wind.
The ministry said these solar plants will be capable of generating approximately 8.4% of Moldova’s annual electricity consumption. After the first year of operation, they will help the share of electricity sources in final consumption is expected to reach 30%.
The latest figures from the ministry show that by the end of July, Moldova’s total installed renewables capacity stood at 784 MW, up 204 MW from the total at the end of 2024. According to statistics published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Moldova’s solar capacity stood at 344 MW at the end of 2024, compared to 201 MW at the end of 2023.
Moldova’s National Agency for Energy Regulation approved the introduction of guarantees of origin certificates for renewable energy sources in July. In April, the country announced plans to run a 246 MW tender of colocated battery storage this fall.
