July 16, 2025, Bălți – The current status and development plans for the centralized heating system in Bălți were discussed during a working visit by the Minister of Energy, Dorin Junghietu, to the CET-Nord combined heat and power plant. The Minister met with the plant’s staff and visited the main installations, becoming familiar with the progress of modernization works and technical perspectives for the coming years.

The CET-Nord management presented strategic plans to modernize the district heating service, emphasizing efficiency, sustainability, and innovation in the generation of electricity and thermal energy, as well as in the process of providing heat to the population. Progress was reviewed on the implementation of the second phase of the "Thermal Energy System of Bălți" project, which includes the installation of individual heating substations (IHS) in 166 apartment blocks and the construction of horizontal heat distribution and domestic hot water supply networks in 296 apartment blocks. As a result, two-thirds of Bălți residents will be able to control their heat consumption at the apartment level and pay for heating services based on individual meter readings.

Additionally, CET-Nord plans to install a 240 MW thermal energy storage unit, upgrade the water treatment installations, and implement a SCADA system for heat distribution and thermal-hydraulic modeling software. The €17 million investment is financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the European Union.

The Minister of Energy emphasized the importance of completing this project on schedule, noting that the residents of Bălți will benefit from modern heating systems. He pointed out that centralized heating systems are considered the most economically efficient, especially because they operate on the basis of cogeneration—producing both electricity and heat simultaneously.

Dorin Junghietu also thanked the company’s management for their involvement in the energy efficiency project for the tallest residential building in Bălți, implemented under the pilot project "Primele Rândunele" ("The First Swallows"). The building was thermally insulated, and the internal vertical heating distribution system was replaced with a horizontal one, including the installation of an Individual Heating Substation. As a result, residents’ heating costs have decreased by about 50%.

The Minister also visited CET-Nord’s production units, including the steam boiler plant and the internal combustion engine plant, which has an installed generator capacity of 13.4 MW. These units, installed in 2019, operate with over 88% efficiency.

Dorin Junghietu assured the company’s management of the Energy Ministry’s support in advancing projects to modernize the centralized heating system, which will lead to better quality services for the population and contribute to strengthening the country’s energy security.