With the memories of last winter still fresh, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Moldova announces that the country is more prepared than ever for the upcoming heating season. Minister of Energy, Victor Parlicov, stated that substantial gas reserves have been accumulated for the entire winter, and a successful one-year contract for procuring electricity at affordable prices has been signed, as reported by Bani.md.
In a press release issued today, December 21, Minister Parlicov highlighted that, thanks to these preventive measures, the population will benefit from light and warmth at lower prices compared to the previous year.
Considering the current geopolitical context, with the war in Ukraine and the politicization of energy resource trade by the Russian Federation, Moldova has considered multiple scenarios to ensure a continuous and stable energy supply.
The plan, developed as early as July of this year, takes into account three possible scenarios:
- Absence of limitations on natural gas delivered by Gazprom to Moldovagaz.
- Continuation of natural gas deliveries by Gazprom at the level of 5.7 million cubic meters per day.
- Termination by Gazprom of the natural gas supply contract.
The Ministry of Energy has anticipated possible situations under scenario 2, such as proportional allocation between the right bank and the left bank or exclusive allocation to consumers on the left bank of the Dniester River.
The considered scenarios are based on the experience of the energy crisis in the previous heating season and shape the current geopolitical context.
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Victor Parlicov also emphasized the importance of reducing natural gas consumption and ensuring affordable energy prices to avoid a new energy crisis.
The government proposes measures such as reconnecting public buildings to centralized heating systems, using alternative fuels in heating plants, and maintaining a minimum volume of 450 million cubic meters of gas in reserves by the beginning of the cold season.
For the largest consumer of natural gas, the Thermal Power Plant, the plan suggests using coal as an alternative but not exceeding 50% of the total fuel, depending on price developments and the availability of energy resources.
The Ministry of Energy’s plan underscores the Republic of Moldova’s commitment to ensuring a winter without major incidents in energy supply, considering the current vulnerabilities and risks in the global energy landscape.