According to the Ministry of Energy, the transaction was carried out by the operator company Energocom JSC, which symbolically purchased 1 MWh. The purpose of the test is to “verify the performance and functionality of the new market, and to assess how it can contribute to the diversification and transparency of electricity procurement mechanisms”.
For Moldova’s energy sector, this is an important event and the first experience of a full-fledged day-ahead wholesale market, which means a transition from bilateral contracts and emergency purchases to an organized market where prices are formed by supply and demand.
The first transaction confirmed that the OPEM platform works, and now the operating company can use this tool to manage the balance and procurement of energy on a day-to-day basis, scheduling transactions and determining competitive prices, as transactions are concluded the next day based on forecasts, supply and demand with short time intervals. The procurement mechanism will also allow the introduction of differentiated hourly tariffs in the country.
The authorities emphasize that this is “not only a technical but also a strategic reform: a step towards greater integration with European energy markets, where such mechanisms (DAMs) are the norm.”
