Temporary suspension of export of power from Ukraine not to affect Moldova - experts
11:55 | 14.01.2015 Category: Economic
Chisinau, 14 January /MOLDPRES/- Ukraine suspended, starting from 13 January, the export of electricity to Moldova, because of insufficient energy on the domestic market, as a result of coal shortage for power stations, according to a press release by the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry.
"To maintain a balance between consumption and power generation in the integrated energy system of Ukraine and to avoid interruptions of current for domestic consumers, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry ruled to temporarily suspend the export of electricity to Moldova and Belarus", the press release says.
Ukraine is facing shortage of coal for its thermal power stations, after the loss of the coal basin from its eastern region and its mines in Donbass, some of them being destroyed in bombings, while others are under the control of pro-Russian rebels.
The temporary suspension of export will not affect the energy system of Moldova in general, and consumers, in particular, given that Ukraine started decreasing supplies beginning with the second half of 2014, and the deficit was covered by increase in acquisitions at CTE Moldoveneasca (known as Kuchurgan power station).
The Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry from Ukraine informed that it had reduced 1.9-fold the exports of electricity to Moldova in the first nine months of 2014. In January-September, electricity deliveries dropped to 628.1 million kW/ hour, down by 593.4 million against the similar period of 2014.
Data put out by the National Agency for Regulation of Energy shows that the acquisitions of electricity from Ukraine covered 21.5 per cent of overall consumption in the first nine months of 2014.
The exports of Ukrainian electricity decreased by 26.8 per cent in September, - a tendency that was maintained in October too. According to the press release by the Ukrainian ministry's press service, the energy export to Moldova decreased almost entirely since 28 November 2014.
In 2014, Moldova purchased electricity from Ukraine and Kuchurgan power station against 6.8 US cents for 1 KW/hour, at a lower price than the one in the past two years - 6.9 cents.
The Ukrainian ministry has previously warned that a full suspension of electricity supplies to Moldova could completely deprive the Odessa region (southern Ukraine) from electricity, as the two energy systems are interconnected.
