Moldova’s energy trade-off: biomass can reduce gas dependence, but air quality must be assessed
Moldova’s regulated natural-gas tariff will rise by 40.8% from 1 September 2026, reaching 20.30 lei per cubic metre, including VAT. The government is promoting locally produced biomass as one way to reduce dependence on imported gas and limit exposure to international price volatility.
The policy has a clear economic rationale. Moldova has no significant domestic natural-gas production and remains dependent on imports. Biomass can support local suppliers, keep part of the energy expenditure inside the country and provide an alternative for public buildings and other consumers.
At the same time, the expansion of solid-fuel heating raises an environmental question. Official monitoring reports recorded concentrations above Moldova’s applicable sanitary limits in parts of Chișinău and Bălți during August. These figures do not show that biomass is the main source of urban pollution. They do, however, provide an important baseline before the heating season.
The central issue is therefore not whether biomass should have a role in Moldova’s energy mix. It is how that role should be managed, monitored and reconciled with the country’s European and climate commitments.
Gas has become more expensive
On 21 August 2026, Moldova’s National Agency for Energy Regulation, or ANRE, approved a new regulated natural-gas tariff of 20.30 lei per cubic metre, including VAT. The tariff will apply from 1 September. News reports describe the increase as 40.8%, or almost 41%, compared with the previous tariff.
The increase reflects several components of the regulated price, including the cost of purchased gas, transportation, distribution and supply.
Further increases remain possible, but this is an expert assessment rather than an official forecast. Energy expert Sergiu Ungureanu told Radio Moldova on 21 August that international energy-market instability could create additional upward pressure on gas prices. He said that another significant increase was possible if the current trend continued.
Ungureanu referred to a rise in reported international gas quotations from approximately €32–34 per megawatt-hour in February and March to €45–47 in May and June, and €58–64 in August. These figures should be understood as market quotations cited by the expert, not as a guaranteed forecast for Moldova’s future tariff.
The government’s response is to promote alternatives, including solid biomass fuels such as wood pellets, briquettes and agricultural residues. According to the Ministry of Energy, biomass heating systems have already been installed in a significant number of public institutions. Official national assessments refer to approximately 317 public institutions with biomass heating installations.
The exact number of active boilers, their combined capacity and the amount of gas they replace should be presented together with the relevant Ministry of Energy document. The figures of more than 300 boilers, approximately 70 MW of capacity and around 20 million cubic metres of annual gas savings should not be treated as independently verified unless they are linked to a specific official statement.
The economic argument is straightforward: gas is imported, while biomass can be produced locally. But the economic benefit depends on the type and origin of the fuel, the efficiency of the equipment, transport costs and the sustainability of the biomass supply.
Moldova’s storage constraint
The move toward biomass is not only about the price of gas. It also reflects a structural weakness in Moldova’s gas system.
ANRE board director Alexandru Ursu said publicly that Moldova cannot easily take advantage of temporary periods of low gas prices because it does not have large underground storage facilities of its own. His argument was that even if Moldova knew that gas prices were at their lowest point, the country would have limited capacity to buy and store large volumes.
Moldova relies on storage facilities in neighbouring countries. Ukraine offers substantial storage capacity, but the war creates additional security and commercial risks. Romania also has underground storage, but Moldova cannot assume that a large share of Romania’s total capacity will be reserved exclusively for Moldovan consumers.
Earlier official figures put Moldova’s security stock at approximately 50 million cubic metres, divided between Romania and Ukraine. At the reported rate of winter consumption, this would cover roughly ten days. The actual duration would depend on weather, demand, imports and the availability of alternative supplies.
The government later announced plans to increase the security stock for the 2026–2027 cold season by 6.3 million cubic metres. This means that the exact reserve level should always be linked to a specific date.
The structural point remains valid: without sufficient domestic or reliably accessible regional storage, Moldova remains exposed to sudden price movements and supply disruptions. Biomass can reduce gas demand, but it cannot replace the need for a more resilient gas-storage strategy.
What air-quality data show
The environmental picture is more complex.
Moldova’s environmental and hydrometeorological authorities regularly monitor air quality in Chișinău and Bălți. Their reports use Moldova’s applicable sanitary limits, which are not identical to the World Health Organization’s air-quality guidelines.
On 6 August, a daily report recorded formic aldehyde concentrations in Chișinău at up to 8.5 times the applicable daily sanitary limit. In Bălți, suspended particles exceeded the limit by up to 2.7 times, nitrogen dioxide by 1.3 times and formic aldehyde by 1.8 times. The report linked the accumulation of pollutants to heat, weak winds, a lack of precipitation and atmospheric conditions that limited dispersion.
Other August reports recorded different values. On 13–14 August, for example, formaldehyde in Chișinău was reported at between 3.9 and 4.8 times the applicable limit, while Bălți recorded exceedances for suspended particles, nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde.
On 18–19 August, the reported levels were lower but still above some sanitary limits. In Chișinău, daily average nitrogen dioxide was reported at up to 1.8 times the limit and formaldehyde at up to 3.4 times. In Bălți, suspended particles, nitrogen dioxide and formaldehyde also exceeded the relevant limits. At the same time, automatic monitoring stations reported that several pollutants, including PM10 and PM2.5, remained within the applicable limits.
These differences matter. The reported exceedances were measured on specific days and at particular monitoring points. They should not be presented as a constant city-wide level of pollution or as proof that all air-quality indicators are above safe limits.
They do show that Moldova’s two largest cities can experience episodes of elevated pollution before the heating season begins. When biomass boilers and household stoves begin operating in autumn, combustion may add to the existing pollution load. The size of that effect will depend on the fuel, equipment, operating conditions, chimney design and emission controls.
Biomass is not necessarily the main source of urban air pollution. Traffic, industrial activity, dust and weather conditions also contribute. A responsible policy therefore requires measurement rather than assumptions.
Biomass is not one technology
The environmental impact of biomass depends heavily on how it is used.
A certified pellet boiler in a public building is not equivalent to an old household stove burning wet wood. A modern installation may have controlled combustion, automatic fuel feeding and filtration. Small household systems may operate without the same controls or regular emissions monitoring.
The same distinction applies to the fuel. Pellets made from a controlled supply chain are different from untreated agricultural residues, low-quality briquettes or illegally harvested wood. The emissions, fuel efficiency and sustainability risks can vary substantially.
For this reason, a policy that promotes biomass should specify: which fuels are eligible; what efficiency standards apply; which emission limits must be met; how installations are inspected; how fuel quality is verified; and how cumulative impacts on urban air quality are monitored.
The available sources confirm that biomass already plays an important role in Moldova’s renewable-energy statistics. In 2020, renewable sources accounted for approximately 25% of gross final energy consumption, with biomass as the dominant renewable source. The IEA has also noted the importance of traditional biomass use for heating and the need for a comprehensive approach to sustainable biomass deployment.
This statistic should be interpreted carefully. A high renewable-energy share does not automatically mean that the heating system is low-emission. Traditional biomass can count as renewable energy while still producing significant local air pollution if it is burned in inefficient equipment.
European obligations
Moldova is an EU candidate country, and accession negotiations were formally opened on 25 June 2024.
It is also a member of the Energy Community. This creates obligations to adopt and implement parts of the European energy and environmental acquis, including rules related to emissions from combustion plants.
The Energy Community’s 2024 implementation material identified continuing problems with Moldova’s implementation of requirements for emissions from combustion plants. These findings concern regulated installations and should not automatically be applied to every biomass boiler or household stove.
Moldova’s climate policy includes a target of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions by 70% below the 1990 level by 2030. The target is confirmed in the IEA’s review of Moldova’s energy policy.
The historical reduction in emissions is partly connected to the sharp decline in economic activity after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. It should therefore not be interpreted solely as the result of recent decarbonisation policies.
EU renewable-energy rules also do not treat all biomass as automatically sustainable. The relevant rules include sustainability and greenhouse-gas-saving requirements for certain biomass fuels and installations. As Moldova’s legislation moves closer to the EU framework, the origin of biomass, forest management, fuel quality and emissions control will become increasingly important.
The objectives are not necessarily incompatible. Moldova can use biomass to reduce gas dependence while also improving air quality. But this requires a distinction between efficient, certified systems and uncontrolled combustion in small household appliances.
What still needs to be assessed
Moldova’s position is understandable. Gas has become more expensive, international markets remain volatile and the country has limited storage capacity. Local biomass can support rural businesses and provide a practical heating option, especially for public institutions that can install and monitor modern equipment.
The unresolved question is the scale and design of the transition.
I have not identified a publicly available assessment that quantifies the cumulative effect of a large increase in solid-biomass combustion on particulate matter and other pollutants in Chișinău and Bălți. That does not prove that no such assessment exists. It means that the analysis is not clearly visible in the public sources reviewed for this article.
Such an assessment should compare at least three scenarios: continued gas use; expansion of certified biomass boilers in public and commercial buildings; and wider use of household solid-fuel stoves and boilers.
It should also include fuel quality, emissions per unit of useful heat, transport emissions, local air pollution, forest and agricultural-residue availability, household costs and compliance with European requirements.
The question is not whether biomass has a role in Moldova’s energy mix. It clearly does. The question is whether decisions are based on the full cost of that role: not only the price of a cubic metre of gas, but also emissions per unit of heat, health risks, fuel sustainability and compatibility with the standards Moldova has committed to meet.