Moldova’s Ministry of Energy has confirmed that an Investor Conference will take place in Chișinău on 29 January 2026, as the government formally opens a new tender round for up to 170 MW of supported onshore wind capacity tied to mandatory battery storage. The ministry says the session will focus on the Tender Documentation and the auction procedure, ahead of the bid window that follows in February and March.
The tender itself has entered the “official” phase with publication in the Monitorul Oficial and the release of the tender package on the ministry’s website, according to the ministry’s announcement dated 19 December 2025.
A wind auction designed around flexibility
The core design is straightforward: investors bid for the right to build onshore wind projects that receive support under Moldova’s large eligible producer framework, but each supported megawatt carries a storage obligation. The Auctioning Commission initiates the tender for investors who develop onshore wind power plants with supported capacity up to 170 MW, plus an obligation to install, in the free market, a minimum electricity storage capacity of 0.25 MWh for each 1 MW of supported wind capacity.
The ministry’s public communication also frames the storage requirement as 44 MWh for this round, positioning batteries as a system-level tool to increase flexibility and reliability.
A key technical condition targets metering and traceability. The tender notice states that the storage installation must have a separate delimitation point, distinct from the metering point used for eligible wind production, to ensure a clear separation of eligible energy flows. It also clarifies that the storage capacity does not count toward the supported capacity ceiling set for the auction.
Just as important for commercial strategy, the tender notice draws a hard line around support eligibility: electricity taken from the grid, stored, and later injected back into the grid does not qualify for the fixed price under the regulated purchase agreement, nor for premium payments under the CfD. In practical terms, the support applies to supported wind generation, not to battery arbitrage of imported electricity.
Who can bid — and what wins
Participation is limited to projects above a minimum size. The tender notice states that bids are allowed only for projects with supported capacity greater than 4 MW and that do not exceed 170 MW (inclusive), while meeting the storage obligation described above.
Awards follow a single financial criterion. Winning offers are the ones with the lowest price below the ceiling price of 1.44 MDL/kWh, within the overall cumulative limit of 170 MW.
The tender notice links the auction to the state aid support scheme “fixed price / variable premium”, authorised by the Competition Council decision referenced in the notice.
Contracting logic: regulated PPA first, CfD later
Moldova’s documentation sets out a two-step contractual pathway that aligns with market development. For each winning project, while a day-ahead market is not operational, the investor signs a regulated contract for the purchase of renewable electricity, which guarantees purchase of electricity produced by the supported capacity at the awarded price for 15 years from commissioning. Once the legal conditions set in the renewables law apply, the regulated contract is replaced by a financial-settled Contract for Differences, which guarantees settlement of the difference between the strike price and a market reference price for production linked to the supported capacity.
Timeline investors should lock in now
The tender notice sets a clear procedural calendar. Clarification requests are open until 1 February 2026, 23:59 (EET); submission opens on 19 February 2026, 00:00 (EET); and the deadline for applications and technical and financial offers is 31 March 2026, 23:59 (EET). The Auctioning Commission schedules the session for examination of applications and investor admissibility for 2 April 2026, 09:00 (EET).
For delivery, the winning investor must commission the wind plant and storage facility within 36 months from publication in the Official Gazette of the Government decision that grants large eligible producer status. The government may extend this deadline by up to 24 months where commissioning fails for justified reasons outside the producer’s responsibility, as referenced in the notice.
The investor conference: what to expect on 29 January
The ministry positions the 29 January 2026 Investor Conference as the point where market participants can test their interpretation of the Tender Documentation against the Commission’s procedural approach, before bid submission opens. The ministry says the conference will address the Tender Documentation provisions and the auction procedure; details on venue and agenda will follow separately.
Where to apply, whom to contact, and where to read the documents
Formal submission takes place by email. The tender notice states that offers must be submitted to wind.auctions@energie.gov.md, and that all correspondence between investors and the Auctioning Commission uses the same address.
The tender notice lists the Commission’s contact details and secretariat at the Ministry of Energy in Chișinău, including the secretary of the Auctioning Commission, Doina Dînga (email doina.dinga@energie.gov.md, tel. 068744933).
The tender notice also specifies how investors access the tender package: via the Ministry of Energy website under the renewables auctions section, or by written request to the auction email address starting 19 December 2025. Ministry announcement (RO, 19 Dec 2025): https://energie.gov.md/ro/content/fost-lansata-licitatia-pentru-constructia-centralelor-eoliene-cu-capacitatea-de-170-mw Tender documentation hub (RO): https://energie.gov.md/ro/documentatia-de-licitatie Tender notice PDF (“anunt_de_initiere_licitatie.pdf”): https://energie.gov.md/sites/default/files/document/attachments/anunt_de_initiere_licitatie.pdf Approved tender documentation PDF (“doc_licitatie_aprobata.pdf”): https://energie.gov.md/sites/default/files/document/attachments/doc_licitatie_aprobata.pdf