In the mountain village of Botiza, in Romania’s Maramureș County, winter often means relying on individual wood-burning stoves to keep homes warm. Now, a new €9.71 million biomass heating project aims to transform how the community produces and shares renewable energy.

Supported by the EU-funded North-West Regional Programme 2021–2027, the project will replace numerous individual heating installations with a modern, centralised biomass system, bringing renewable heat to approximately 954 residents, more than 40% of the village’s population.

Renewable energy that reaches everyone

The new infrastructure will connect 107 households, a residential building with nine apartments and nine public institutions through approximately 4.4 kilometres of district heating pipes.

Importantly, 50 of the households included belong to vulnerable consumers, including families that have previously received financial assistance for heating. The project will also cover the necessary connections and installations to ensure that renewable heat can reach their homes.

Schools, the kindergarten, the town hall and other essential community buildings will also benefit from the new heating network.

By moving towards a shared heating system, Botiza aims to make access to renewable heat more reliable and easier to manage, particularly for households facing difficulties during the colder months.

Making better use of local biomass

At the heart of the project is a high-efficiency biomass combined heat and power plant, which will produce both heat and electricity from the same renewable fuel.

Complemented by additional biomass boilers and fuel storage facilities, the system will make use of locally and regionally available biomass resources, replacing numerous individual installations with a coordinated heating network.

Once operational, the infrastructure is expected to generate approximately 4,098 MWh of renewable energy every year, helping the community use its biomass resources more efficiently.

With completion planned for December 2029, Botiza offers an example of how EU investment in bioenergy can support rural development and improve access to modern heating infrastructure.

The project illustrates how bioenergy can bring communities together, turning a familiar local resource into a shared solution for reliable, renewable warmth.

Source: ADR Nord-Vest, 8 October 2026.