# Moldova's Renewable Energy Law Amendments: Acceleration Zones, Permits in 12 Months and the Company You Need

> Moldova's Parliament passed the Law 10/2016 amendments at second reading: permit deadlines, acceleration zones, auctions and how to prepare your company.

*2026-11-01* | DeschideCompanie editorial team
 | Tags: News, renewable energy, Law 10/2016, acceleration zones, company registration, Moldova

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Moldova's Parliament approved the amendments to Law No. 10/2016 on promoting energy from renewable sources at second reading on 29 October 2026. In short, permitting moves into a single digital process with maximum deadlines ranging from one month to 24 months, and the state will designate acceleration zones where a project gets its permits within 12 months. The provisions do not apply yet, but they already matter if you want to open a renewable energy company.

We worked from the [Ministry of Energy's questions and answers](https://energie.gov.md/ro/content/intrebari-si-raspunsuri-ce-schimba-modificarile-la-legea-privind-energia-regenerabila), published on 30 October. The final text of the law had not been published when we wrote this article, so the exact capacity thresholds remain to be confirmed.

## What changes for investors: a single permitting process through EVO

Permitting becomes a unified, digital process run through the government's EVO portal. You say which technology you want, what capacity and where, and the portal shows you the documents you need, their order and the deadlines. You will be able to start some procedures in parallel, and the platform will track the whole route, from the first application to the documents needed to begin construction.

## Maximum permitting deadlines

| Project type | Maximum deadline |
| --- | --- |
| Self-consumption projects | from one month |
| Projects in acceleration zones | 12 months |
| Large projects | 24 months |

The deadlines vary with technology, capacity and location. The ministry does not say at what capacity a project becomes "large", so the exact threshold will only be clear from the published law. For installation companies, the first row matters most: a deadline starting at one month shortens the process for a customer installing a system for their own consumption.

On modernising existing plants, the ministry adds that some works will be possible without going through the permitting stages, under the conditions set by law. Where a new environmental consent is needed, the assessment covers only what actually changes.

## The renewable potential map and acceleration zones

The Government will carry out a national assessment showing, by technology, what capacity can be developed, how much energy can be produced and where. The results will be published on geodata.gov.md, along with existing plants, grids and environmental constraints. For an investor, that is a free starting point: you can see from your desk where it makes sense to look for land.

The acceleration zones, known by the Romanian abbreviation ZAR, will be designated on the basis of the map. Priority goes to degraded land, land intended for construction, transport, grids and mining, then to areas occupied by agricultural, industrial or urban infrastructure, including car parks and water treatment plants. Designation is subject to a strategic environmental assessment and public consultation.

What a project in such a zone gains:

- permitting within 12 months;
- simplified environmental procedures, because the Government assesses the risks for the whole zone and an individual project can receive its environmental consent as early as the preliminary assessment, provided it complies with the measures set;
- grids planned around the zone: if the potential exceeds existing capacity, operators must provide for developing the grid.

Developers will care most about the last point, because connection often decides a project's fate. Zones can cover different technologies, from wind energy to storage or energy from waste.

## Auctions in acceleration zones: what the winner gets

The Government can reserve part of a zone for auctions on specific sites when the pace of investment is not enough for energy security or national targets, or when it wants to stimulate a particular technology quickly. A whole zone can be reserved only if there are several zones for the same technology, and the legal cap is 50% of the estimated capacity or of the area for that technology.

On top of the advantages of any project in the zone, the winner receives:

- public utility project status;
- a temporary right to use the land needed for the works;
- an easement for the connection and related infrastructure;
- a guaranteed option to connect to the grid;
- permits within one year;
- exemption from the strategic environmental assessment, which the Government obtains for the whole zone.

For many projects, the guaranteed connection is the most valuable line on that list.

## Land and projects already under way

The ministry is clear that the amendments give auction winners no expropriation mechanism. It is up to developers to secure the rights to land the plant permanently occupies. Rights of use and easements cover only construction, repairs and maintenance, and owners are entitled to compensation and damages, set by an independent valuer and open to challenge.

Nor do existing projects have to start from scratch. Installations already connected are not affected when a zone is reserved. Self-consumption and renewable energy communities can continue even in reserved zones. A commercial project with a valid building permit or environmental consent gets 36 months to finish.

The practical conclusion follows from this: the law protects projects that have come far enough to have their documents in hand. If you started early, you are better placed than someone waiting for the map.

## The biofuel market: mandatory quotas and checks

The amendments set out in more detail how the biofuel market is organised: how the mandatory quotas are set and which entities have to place biofuels on the market. The renewable component of fuels and the reduction in emissions compared with fossil fuels will have to be documented, and verification falls to ANRE, the National Centre for Sustainable Energy and the Environment Agency. For now, the ministry gives no percentages and does not name the entities. If you work with fuels, the general rules are on the page about [filling stations and fuels](/en/industries/fuel-filling-stations).

## When the new rules apply

The second-reading vote sets the framework. When they start to apply depends on the law entering into force and on the next steps: the mapping, the designation of zones, the digital functions in EVO and the implementing acts. The ministry says auctions for large capacities will be preceded by technical modelling of what is needed, and the actual timetable will follow from the final text.

Until then, today's rules remain in force. Nothing obliges you to wait: the map and the zones are for those who want a particular site, not a condition for building a plant.

## What kind of company to open in renewable energy

Several types of business are directly affected by these amendments, but each calls for different preparation:

| What you want to do | CAEM code | What is required today |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Photovoltaic or wind park | 35.11, from 2027 35.12 | ANRE licence from 5 MW; performance guarantee with the connection permit above 200 kW; Government decision above 20 MW |
| Energy storage facility | from 2027, class 35.16 | ANRE licence from 1 MW of injection capacity |
| Photovoltaic panel installation | 43.21 | work through installers registered with CNED |
| Heat pumps and solar collectors | 43.22 | work through installers registered with CNED |

The full conditions for each licence, the connection permit and the rules on investment in energy infrastructure are in the guide on [how to open an energy company in Moldova](/en/industries/energy-company).

For developers, a separate SRL for each project is a common choice: the land rights, connection permit, environmental documents and any licence sit together, and the project is simpler to finance or sell. If you are investing from abroad, the specific steps are in the [guide for foreign founders](/en/blog/register-company-foreign-founder). The direction is clear: the law aims for more energy produced in Moldova, for energy security and for climate neutrality by 2050.

## Open your renewable energy company with us

We prepare the company for your project: we choose the legal form, usually an SRL, draft the founding documents, set the CAEM codes, including the move to the 2027 classification, provide the registered address, file with the Public Services Agency and open the bank account. We obtain the IDNP for founders and administrators from abroad, and we can register a branch or a company in Moldova for foreign firms. We also help with the ANRE licence application, and we can take over your accounting from the first month. Our services and prices are on the [corporate services](/en/corporate-services) page.

[Write to us](/en/#contact) with what you want to build, at what capacity and where, and we will tell you what kind of company and which documents you need. We will update this article when the final text of the law is published.