Overview
The goal of the project was to generate an added value to the Moldova Social Investment Fund (SIF) II Project under implementation in Moldova directed towards SIF project participants through greenhouse gas emissions reduction benefits, by creating incentives for further implementation of greenhouse gas mitigation measures. The use of carbon values served as a catalyst for implementing heat production clean technologies in rural areas.
The anthropogenic GHG emission reductions in this project were achieved as a result of:
- fuel switching from coal to natural gas;
- energy efficiency improvements of local heating systems (low-efficiency stoves/boilers replacement by modern ones; strengthening the insulation of external and internal heat and hot water distribution pipelines);
- implementation of energy conservation measures in buildings (additional insulation of building envelops, replacement windows and doors, etc.).
Benefits
Within the project activities boundaries, the pillars of sustainable development were upheld. For the energy project, designed to address rehabilitation and upgrade of the deteriorated heating systems of public buildings, these pillars include economic efficiency, social equity, environmental and technological sustainability.
Economic benefits: The project led to a decrease in the cost of heat production for buildings.
Social benefits: The project allowed to decrease the payment burden for consumed energy resources and to increase local employment. Besides it, the project improved the living and activity conditions within the considered public buildings by:
- Increase in availability of heating service for considered buildings;
- Room heating temperature normalization;
- Increased duration of heating period;
- Making available and affordable hot water in such buildings like schools, orphanages etc.
Environmental benefits: Conventional coal-burning boiler houses create massive pollution; they represent one of the largest sources of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Heat and power production is responsible for large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and mercury emissions (Hg). These four pollutants are the major cause of worst environmental problems, including acid rain, smog, respiratory illness, mercury contamination and global warming. In this project, coal was substantially substituted by natural gas.
Technological benefits: The project brought in more advanced technologies for heat production.
Documents and project details
Technical documents related to the carbon standard can be found here, Project Design Document No. 1, Project Design Document No. 2.
Details on project preparation and implementation can be found here.