Bogdan VARASCIUC (Modern Calor, Botoșani), at FERM 2025: “The future of district heating lies in integrating renewable sources and harnessing residual energy.”

REGIONAL ECONOMIC FORUM MOLDOVA 2025

19th Edition – Vatra Dornei, July 9–13, 2025

Thematic Panel:

Energy and the Transition to a Sustainable Energy System

Speaker:

Bogdan Varasciuc – Director of the district heating company ”Modern Calor”, Botoșani

Topic of the intervention:

“The Transition of District Heating to Renewable Sources and the Use of Residual Energy for a Sustainable and Efficient Energy System”

The energy panel of the Regional Economic Forum Moldova (FERM 2025), held in Vatra Dornei between July 9–13, highlighted essential topics for the sustainable development of the region. Among the invited speakers was Bogdan Varasciuc, Director of Modern Calor Botoșani, who presented the company’s vision for transitioning from traditional energy sources to modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly solutions.

Modern Calor Botoșani – between Tradition and Modernization

The district heating company in Botoșani manages both the production of thermal energy and its transport and supply to the population. Currently, production is achieved through a combination of hot water boilers and cogeneration engines. An important step was taken in 2024 with the commissioning of a 30 MW unit financed through PNRR, which produces only electricity.

“We are implementing a 60-million-lei project that involves the integration of a third cogeneration engine. This is the first stage of expansion and modernization of the source, followed by a second stage focused on renewable solutions – biogas, solar panels, biomass – in collaboration with private and institutional partners.”

From Cogeneration to Renewable Sources

The Director of Modern Calor stressed that the company’s strategy has been adjusted in line with developments on the energy market. While a few years ago the focus was on increasing cogeneration capacity, today the emphasis is on diversifying the energy mix and reducing dependence on gas, whose price remains high.

“Today we are more interested in integrating renewable sources than in continuing the expansion of cogeneration. This is a necessity, given the sharp rise in ETS emission certificates, which makes fossil fuel-based production increasingly expensive.”

Lessons from Europe: the Danish Model

In his speech, Bogdan Varasciuc recounted his visit to the utility company in Holborn, Denmark, where an ambitious energy transition project was implemented. The town’s objective is that, by 2030, 50% of thermal energy will come from residual heat recovery, one quarter from waste incineration, and only 1% from gas.

“What impressed me was their vision of massively harnessing residual energy. It is a model that should also be adapted locally. For example, in Botoșani we are analyzing the possibility of mapping residual heat sources – whether from industrial processes or other activities – to integrate them into our district heating system.”

A Circular Economy Approach

Varasciuc’s speech also underlined the importance of integrating circular economy principles in the energy sector. The recovery and reuse of wasted energy can reduce dependence on fossil fuels, lower costs for consumers, and align Romania with European directives on energy efficiency and the use of renewable sources.

“I believe we must make a sustained effort to identify wasted energy and reintegrate it into the system. This is a solution through which we can substitute fossil fuel-based production, eliminating both the costs of emission certificates and the vulnerability to gas price fluctuations.”

Conclusions: Collaboration and Innovation for the Future

The intervention of Bogdan Varasciuc at FERM 2025 clearly showed that the future of district heating in Romania and in the Moldova region depends on our ability to find the balance between technological modernization, economic efficiency, and environmental responsibility. The example of Botoșani, where Modern Calor is committed to transitioning to renewable sources and using residual energy, represents a model of smart adaptation to today’s energy market challenges and European decarbonization policies.

The forum provided not only a presentation platform, but also a space for connecting key actors: public administrations, solution providers, investors, and policymakers. In this context, the message conveyed is twofold: on the one hand, Romania and the Republic of Moldova must jointly build energy resilience by reducing dependence on fossil resources, and on the other hand, innovation and cross-border cooperation are key to transforming the region into a competitive and sustainable space.