Karolina Novak
This was stated by Carolina Novac, State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, speaking at a regional workshop organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Nicosia, Cyprus, on ways to transition to low-carbon energy.
During the workshop, she presented Moldova’s perspective on accelerating a reliable, evidence-based and investment-attractive energy transition to 2030 and beyond. The project aims to support IAEA Member States in achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement on Climate Stabilization and in preparing their national energy and climate plans and nationally determined contributions.
In her presentation, Carolina Novac highlighted three key lessons from Moldova’s experience. The first aspect concerns the transition from simple declarative targets to an implementable planning system based on strengthening institutional capacity for modeling and coordination, a process that culminated in the development of the Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan 2025-2030. The focus was on establishing a permanent mechanism for inter-ministerial cooperation, regular technical meetings and harmonization of assumptions and criteria for energy and climate policy evaluation.
The second important message focused on the role of data, transparency and strong institutions as the basis for effective public policy. As noted by Karolina Novac, Moldova has strengthened its national energy data systems through regular technical audits, clarification of institutional responsibilities and transparent stakeholder consultations, which is a crucial element in the context of regional integration and the increasingly complex challenges facing energy systems.
Third, it was emphasized that while the level of ambition is clearly defined, the real challenge remains the ambitious implementation of the measures undertaken. The Integrated National Energy and Climate Plan sets clear targets for 2030 and requires significant long-term investments until 2050, including mobilizing finance, reducing import dependency and pursuing market reforms while maintaining security of supply.
Moldova’s next steps were also presented during the discussions: deepening modeling capabilities and the link between policy and analysis, integrating 2050 and energy security scenarios, strengthening regional cooperation with Romania, Ukraine and the Energy Community, and continuing to expand the use of renewable energy and increasing the flexibility of the energy system.
In this context, a new wind power tender planned for December 2025, which will include binding energy storage solutions (BESS), was also mentioned.
Discussions also addressed the long-term options included in the draft Energy Strategy of Moldova 2050, including an analysis of the potential of small modular reactor technologies in the light of international experience in terms of regulatory framework, financing, supply chains and public acceptance.
