Moldova’s solar, wind auction oversubscribed by 42 bids

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Moldova’s Ministry of Energy has received 42 bids for its latest auction to develop large-scale solar and wind farms, far exceeding the available capacity.

The auction drew 34 bids for 236.61 MW of PV projects and eight bids for 207.5 MW of wind projects by the March 31 deadline. All bidders are local companies, two of which have foreign founders.

The renewables auction, launched in summer 2024, aims to allocate 165 MW of capacity, with 105 MW for wind and 60 MW for solar, to help Moldova achieve its goal of sourcing at least 30% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. Minister of Energy Dorin Junghietu said the strong investor response underscores confidence in the sector, despite economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

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In April’s power purchase agreement (PPA)-focused edition of pv magazine, we consider the benefits and limitations of 24/7 clean energy power matching for environmentally savvy corporates. We also take a look at a potential legislative threat to US solar that could significantly outweigh the hit from import tariffs, cast an eye on Chinese solar as the nation completes the move away from subsidized PV, and hear the case for robots to replace humans when it comes to panel installation.

Junghietu said in an online statement that Moldova’s energy sector continues to attract investors despite ongoing crises, as evidenced by the strong response to the latest auction. He noted that renewable capacity has grown eightfold in four years, exceeding 646 MW in February 2025, and that large-scale solar projects will supply domestic consumption. Infrastructure investments will remain profitable long-term and provide a significant boost to the economy, he added.

The bidding commission is now reviewing applications for compliance with auction rules, bid guarantees, and technical and financial requirements. The ministry said it will announce the list of qualified investors on April 7, followed by the opening of technical bids.

Winning developers will secure 15-year power purchase agreements with Moldova’s Central Electricity Supplier. The government must approve the final list of large-scale eligible producers before projects can move forward.

Separately, the Moldova National Center for Sustainable Energy (CNED) revealed in February that 90 MW of solar capacity – the 40 MW Negureni and 50 MW Radeni projects – will be completed by December 2025.

Moldova had 344 MW of cumulative installed solar capacity by the end of 2024, according to figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

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