Electricity purchase contract to be extended for one more year

Chisinau, 28 March /MOLDPRES/- The Gas Natural Fenosa company holds negotiations with the Moldovan electric power station (known as Cuciurgan power station) on extension of the electricity purchase contract for one more year until 31 March 2016.

The current contract expires on 31 March. "Price is 6.8 cents for 1 kw per hour. We have sent requests of offers to more operators, but only the Cuciurgan power station was willing to deliver electricity", the head of the Gas Natural Fenosa company's press service, Vasile Gribincea said.

He noted that in 2015, the talks with power producer from the Transnistrian region were held with the Energocom state-owned enterprise. Representatives of the Economics Ministry confirmed that "in March, the Energocom company has managed to sign electricity supply contracts to RED Nord and RED Nord-Vest at lower prices, 6,975 cents/kWh, against the previous period. This contract is valid until 31 March 2015".

Presently, about 75-80 per cent of electricity of Moldova are covered by the Cuciurgan power station. Ukraine suspended, starting from 1 December 2014, the export of electricity to Moldova, because of insufficient quantity of energy on domestic market, as a result of coal shortage for power plants. 

 "To maintain a balance between consumption and electric power generation in the Ukrainian integrated energy system and to avoid power outages for consumers, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry decided to temporarily suspend the export of electricity to Moldova and Belarus", a communique of the Ukrainian ministry's press service has reported.

 (Reporter V. Bercu, editor L. Alcază)