Rural biogas plants in the client model in the Republic of Moldova
Keywords: citizen energy, climate protection, resource conservation, environmental technology, capacity building, networking, energy community, rural regions, knowledge transfer
Subject and goals of the project
The Republic of Moldova relies on natural gas supplies from Russia for over 95% of its energy supply and is affected by the current political situation, including massive increases in the price of natural gas. Great opportunities are therefore seen in the agrarian country in decentralized, democracy-promoting energy production through biogas. So far, the liquid manure has simply been disposed of in bodies of water, polluting the country’s rivers to an immense extent.
The aim is therefore to strengthen the efforts of civil society and the farming community that have been underway since 2016 with regard to the planning and construction of medium-sized biogas plants according to the owner-builder model, in order to enable maximum economic efficiency without externally determined side effects through customized plant planning. The project aims to initiate around ten new plants in the country financed by farmers.
To this end, information events are to be held for farmers throughout the country in cooperation with farmers’ associations. Potential interested parties for the implementation of biogas plants should be able to acquire the relevant knowledge in specialist workshops on applied plant planning and procurement and a series of seminars broadcast on Agro-TV, which is widely used in the Republic of Moldova.
The content of these information and capacity building events will involve the well-established Ukrainian biogas association and the Moldovan trade association, which is currently being set up, in order to take up the specific Moldovan conditions, adapt/implement appropriate measures and enable a targeted, demand-oriented transfer of knowledge.
At the same time, a fee-based advisory process is being set up as a sustainable service structure for operational and technical services, which is anchored in the Moldovan Biogas Association, farmers’ associations and citizen energy institutions.
Innovation and exemplary nature of the project
Innovations in Moldova and the region include the independent planning of a system by farmers and their family, neighborhood and community partners, as well as the associated sourcing from suppliers throughout Europe and Ukraine.
Technically innovative plants are those which, thanks to optimum pre-treatment and material movement, enable a permanently high fermentation rate and a short residence time for the substrates.
Mixed investment models (e.g. a GmbH & Co. KG) and structured financing are innovative under company law. Operating models in which specialist teams at the location, in the capital and abroad (e.g. Germany) are linked together via ERP and emergency plans are also beneficial.
A campaign on the owner-builder model of a biogas plant makes sense throughout Europe, but especially in the countries of the Eastern Partnership such as Moldova, Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine, as self-help-driven models of plant planning (owner-builder model) are hardly known in these countries. The key technology of fermentation in biogas plants is currently mainly implemented as a turnkey (capital-intensive) solution.
Special aspects of the project
While the Moldovan biogas association AABM is still being established since its foundation in 2019, the Ukrainian biogas association UABIO can point to relevant projects in the region and in the international research and funding network. Both associations play an exposed and experimental role in the context of agriculture in their respective countries. The sector has always been important due to its fertile soils and economic relevance. Especially in times of crisis and war, its transformation with energy improvements has become particularly urgent.
Funding theme 6: Renewable energy, energy saving and efficiency
Project Implementation:
- Maschinenring Kommunalservice (MRK) GmbH, Rosdorf, Lower Saxony
- Operating company of the Micu & Co. organic farm, Olișcani, Soldanești, Republic of Moldova
Associated partners:
- Moldovan Biogas Association AABM, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
- Ukrainian Biogas Association UABIO, Kiev, Ukraine
- Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Moldova/Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
- Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Transition of the Republic of Moldova – AEE, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova
Places of work: Germany, Republic of Moldova
Funding period: November 2023 to November 2024
Project costs: Total volume: 247,780 euros, funding from DBU: 122,840 euros
DBU-AZ: 38993
Status: 29.02.2024
Pictures: Maschinenring Kommunalservice (MRK) GmbH