The project to improve public lighting in Calarasi was officially launched on March 26, along with two other initiatives supported by the EU "Covenant of Mayors - Demonstration Projects" programme, at a public conference. The event was attended by representatives of the EU Delegation to Moldova, local public authorities and civil society.
“The development of renewable sources of energy is one of the key aspects of sustainable economic development and the EU is confident that the municipalities play a key role in this process. The EU launched the call for proposals to help the municipalities signatories of the Covenant of Mayors reduce the gap between Sustainable Energy Action Plans and their practical implementation to bring direct and tangible benefits to citizens. Through these projects, the European Union will work with local authorities to ensure a better life for Moldovan citizens”, underlined Peter Michalko, EU Ambassador to Moldova.
Thus, with the European support, Calarasi will improve its street lighting and make it more energy efficient. Four schools and kindergartens in the town of Cantemir will be thermally insulated and retrofitted, in order to ensure savings on heating costs and more comfortable conditions for children. Meanwhile, solar panels and biomass heating systems will be installed in Festelita (Stefan-Voda rayon).
"We are grateful for the European Union support to implement this project. It is the first project when the money comes before the implementation of the works, and that makes us responsible for being efficient and building the trust of the European partners. This project is beneficial for the 16 500 inhabitants and 490 economic agents, as well as for the citizens of the region and the tourists who visit our town”, believes Nicolae Melnic, Mayor of Calarasi.
In turn, the Project Manager from IDIS "Viitorul", Liubomir Chiriac stated: “We greatly hope that the results achieved in the project will increase citizens' confidence in the local government. And, respectively, increasing the quality of public services at the local level will convince young people to remain in the community to develop their ideas".
The energy efficiency project in Calarasi includes the installation of a 21 kilometer lighting network and the architectural lighting of two public buildings. As a result, the project will provide a real economy of € 6,500 per year, reduce CO2 emissions and maintenance and operating costs.
The project "Efficient public lighting in Calarasi-Firefly in the heart of forests", implemented by the Calarasi Town Hall in partnership with IDIS "Viitorul". The project is funded by the European Union through the European programme “Covenant of Mayors – Demonstration Projects (CoM-DeP)”, part of the EU4Energy initiative.
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For more information, please contact the Press Officer of the project, Ana - Maria Veverita: ana.veverita@viitorul.org or by phone (0 22) 221844.
The EU4Energy Initiative covers all EU support to improve energy supply, security and connectivity, as well as to promote energy efficiency and the use of renewables in the Eastern Partner countries Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. It does this by financing projects and programmes that help to reform energy markets and to reduce national energy dependence and consumption. Over the longer term, this makes energy supply more reliable, transparent and affordable, thus reducing energy poverty and energy bills for both citizens and the private sector. More information: www.EU4Energy.eu
