Statistical data about the biomass potential and actual consumption of biomass energy will be collected in April from more than 3,000 households. The National Bureau of Statistics will collect and analyze energy data with the help of a new information system designed under the Energy and Biomass Project funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Program, IPN reports.

According to a press release of UNDP, the new software, which is in line with the European standards, will enable collecting starting this year data about the country’s agricultural and woody biomass potential and the actual volume of production and consumption of biomass energy. These data will be collected from private companies, public institutions and households.

The detailed and updated biomass energy data will allow the Moldovan authorities to monitor the exploitation of renewable energy sources and the progress towards the national objectives in this sector and to plan new sector development projects, and the foreign investors and businesses to develop and start new energy projects.

The new system will also collect data that are missing in the energy balance, such as the amount of agricultural and wood waste and forestry waste used as energy resources, mainly in the rural sector. “The National Bureau of Statistics used an outdated software application that was developed in the 90’s and did not allow making changes into the statistical questionnaires,” said Svetlana Bulgac, head of Industry, Energy and Construction Division of the National Bureau of Statistics.

The new software allows making changes and adding questions related to the biomass potential (production) and biomass consumption in the questionnaires for the reporting businesses.