Romgaz, Romania’s largest natural gas producer, plans to establish its subsidiary as a direct natural gas supplier in Chisinau. This move could end the monopoly state-owned trader Energocom currently holds.
According to a document reviewed by Profit.ro, Romgaz’s executive management proposed creating a limited liability company in Moldova, Romgaz Furnizare M S.R.L., with its headquarters at Mihai Eminescu Street No. 70 in Chisinau. The new entity will distribute gas through pipelines. Shareholders will vote on this proposal at the Extraordinary General Meeting on April 29.
Energocom now acts as the sole intermediary between producers and consumers. The company purchases gas mainly from markets in Romania and the EU and then resells it to Moldovagaz. Between April and December 2024, Energocom bought over 8.8 million MWh of gas (about 830 million cubic meters) at an average price of €40.09/MWh. Two-thirds of this supply came from Romanian companies, including Romgaz, OMV Petrom, and Engie Energy Romania.
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Romgaz plans to establish its Moldova-based subsidiary to bypass intermediaries and supply gas directly, potentially lowering prices and increasing market competition.
At the same time, Romgaz is expanding into Romania’s household gas supply market, which companies like Engie currently dominate. Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu believes Romgaz’s entry could lower prices, just as Hidroelectrica did in the electricity market.
To support this expansion, Romgaz launched a tender for a specialized IT platform to manage an unlimited number of customers. The project, valued at over 8.6 million RON (excluding VAT), recently received a two-month deadline extension.
If Romgaz moves forward with its plan, Moldova will get a new competitor in the gas market, which could drive down prices and improve transparency in the country’s energy sector.