This was informed by the Ministry of Energy. “However, the price and volume of purchases represent commercial information and cannot be made public without the consent of the parties. Energocom SA monitors price dynamics in the region on a daily basis and adjusts its actions in accordance with the procurement strategy, ensuring an efficient and responsible process for Moldova’s energy security,” the Energy Ministry said in a press release.
The government intends to increase the amount of natural gas to be stored as reserve reserves for the next winter from 47.1 million cubic meters to 50 million cubic meters. At the Cabinet meeting on May 21, the relevant decree “On the creation and maintenance of natural gas reserve stocks” will be adopted.
The necessary reserves will have to be formed by October 1, 2025. Their volume should be equal to the average consumption of natural gas for at least 10 days (days) in the previous winter. For December 2024 – February 2025, the average daily gas consumption was 4.97 million cubic meters. Accordingly, for 10 days it is equal to 49.7 million cubic meters. Our country does not have its own gas storage capacities. But Ukraine and Romania have them, and their services are also used by Moldovan operators.
After Gazprom limited natural gas supplies to Moldova to 5.7 million cubic meters per day in the fall of 2022, Energocom (on behalf of the Commission for Emergency Situations) purchased additional volumes of natural gas on European markets. Starting from December 2022, the entire volume of natural gas in the amount of 5.7 million cubic meters/day supplied to RM by Gazprom was directed to the Left Bank, including for electricity generation by the Cuciurgan TPP for consumers on both banks of the Dniester.
Starting from April 2024, Moldovagaz SA organizes auctions for the purchase of natural gas volumes required by consumers, and Energocom is one of the participants in auctions on the wholesale natural gas market in Moldova.
Until now, the costs of creating and maintaining 47.1 million cubic meters of natural gas reserves (for the previous gas year) have been reimbursed through financial contributions of natural gas suppliers on the retail market, depending on their share. Thus, the costs of additional purchase and storage of 2.9 million cubic meters of natural gas are also planned to be covered by financial contributions of suppliers on the retail natural gas market.
“The creation of reserve stocks of natural gas will make it possible to reduce the impact of possible emergencies in the gas sector on the country’s economy,” the information note to the draft amendments says.
