OREANDA-NEWS. October 20, 2014. Thirty businesses have been initiated and developed in producing solid bio-fuel, due to a leasing programme carried out by the Energy and Biomass Project in 2012-2014.

Agricultural entrepreneurs purchased in instalments, from European funds, equipment for producing briquette/pellets, chopping, bundling and transportation of biomass. The devices have been provided on easy terms, with payment in instalments for a 3- year period, no fee, interest and VAT, according to a press release by the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) Energy and Biomass Project. As a result, 100 new jobs were created.

A line for producing wood sawdust, launched in the Ghidighici village by two physicians and an economist in 2013, was unveiled to journalists today. Linia de producere a brichetelor din rumegus de lemn, lansata in comuna Ghidighici in 2013 de catre doi medici si un economist, a fost prezentata astazi presei.

“There are periods when we are continuously working to meet demands. The people know the benefits of eco fuel and give it priority over coal,” one of founders of Ghidighici-based briquette company, Roman Smolnitchi, said.

The fuel production market just starts being created, but develops rapidly. Over the past four years, the number of local producers of briquettes and pellets increased ten-fold and exceeded 100. The technical capacity of lines producing briquettes and pellets existing in Moldova can already replace imports of 150,000 tons of coal, and savings are estimated at 400 million lei paid from the state budget.

“Due to the investments provided by EU via the above-mentioned project, 144 schools and kindergartens will have biomass heating systems from the European funds”, an expert in business development, Nicolae Zaharia, said. He added that the bio-fuel had been purchased from the local producers motivated to initiate business, due to high demand.

About 500 families from villages and cities have set biomass boilers at home, with 1,300 euros subsidisation from European funds, due to the programme launched by the Energy and Biomass Project, in partnership with the Energy Efficiency Agency.

The project’s period is four years. It is estimated at 14.56 million euros, provided by EU (14 million euros) and UNDP Moldova (560,000 euros).