A study has been conducted on Moldova’s geothermal potential, which also offers recommendations for the development strategy of the sector. According to the report, geothermal energy could play a significant role in the country’s energy mix by 2035.
The document examines existing wells and their technical documentation, concluding that surface geothermal resources can be used to ensure thermal comfort in residential, commercial, or industrial buildings, and in the warm season, to cool rooms using the same infrastructure. Meanwhile, deep geothermal resources can produce heat for urban networks and industrial applications (such as steam, hot air, or hot water-based processes), agricultural applications (greenhouse heating, fish farming, drying) and water leisure applications (swimming pools, marine centres, steam baths).
Surface geothermal energy uses resources with temperatures below 30 degrees Celsius (°C), typically at depths of less than 400 metres, while deep geothermal energy draws on underground water bodies with temperatures between 30°C and 200°C, typically at depths between 500 and 3,000 meters.
The document proposes a series of pilot projects for urban heating and energy production between 2027 and 2029, testing the integration of geothermal systems into the existing infrastructure, utilising wells from Chisinau (with a temperature of up to 53°C at a depth of 1,140 metres), Cahul (depth of 500-600 metres), as well as the villages of Gura Căinarului and Mărculești.
The expansion of urban and rural geothermal heating systems and the construction of new geothermal power plants would occur between 2030 and 2033. The estimated costs for the development of the geothermal sector over 12 years amount to approximately 300 million euros, including the costs for building, installing, and/or modernising the necessary thermal heating infrastructure.
The authors of the document also recommend preparing a series of comprehensive geological and feasibility studies, creating a comprehensive map of geothermal resources and developing the legal and regulatory frameworks.
The study was conducted with the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Environment Facility. It can be viewed on the Ministry of Energy’s website.