United States Agency for International Development to back production, use of renewable energy for irrigation

Chisinau, 23 December /MOLDPRES/ - The Rural Competitiveness and Resilience Activity (RCRA) Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has launched an appeal of grants meant for the Associations of Users of Water for Irrigation (AUAI), in order to help them invest in the production and use of renewable energy in the process of pumping and distribution of water for the irrigation of agricultural plantations. The applications for grants can be submitted till 27 January 2023.    
The project anticipates the providing of about 1.6 million lei (80,000 euros) for the financing of the grant appeal. The sum of each grant will not exceed 400,000 lei or 30 per cent of the overall value of the investment in renewable energy sources and the applicant’s contribution will be of at least 70 per cent of the activity’s total value.   
The investments of the production and use of renewable energy in the process of public and distribution of water for irrigation by AUAI will contribute to the diversification of the energy sources used, reducing the economic impact of the price for the irrigation water, caused by the increase in the costs for electric energy, etc.  
The diversification of the energy sources for irrigation are extremely important, given that the tariffs for electric energy have significantly increased, and according to estimations, the share of the costs of the energy resources in the tariff per one cubic metre of water is 60 per cent, USAID added.