Moldovan authorities look for alternative solutions for country's supply with gas after 1 January 2020

Chisinau, 3 October /MOLDPRES/- Authorities are looking for alternative solutions for Moldova to be supplied with gas after 1 January 2020, in case the Russian Federation and Ukraine will not reach an agreement on gas transit. Minister of Economy and Infrastructure Vadim Brînzan made the statements.

"If Ukraine and Russia fail to reach a consensus, then we will remain without gas after 1 January 2020. In this case, we will not be able to produce electricity in Cuciurgan and we will not be able to heat our homes," Brânzan said.

The official announced that several solutions are being analyzed to provide our country with gas. The first solution would be to buy 400 million cubic meters of gas and store them in the Ukrainian tanks. "We have already discussed this issue in Brussels, as well as with representatives of the IMF and the World Bank to find emergency financing for the purchase of these 400 million cubic meters of gas, which would provide us about a month with electricity and heat," he said. According to the minister, the second solution would be to buy gas, in reverse, through the Turkish Stream pipeline.

At the same time, Brînzan also said that the existence of a single source of energy, namely Gazprom, endangers the security of the state. Thus, the Republic of Moldova should diversify gas sources, said Brînzan, and an alternative would be the Iasi - Chisinau gas pipeline, which could be put into operation by next summer.

The gas delivery contracts to the consumers of the Republic of Moldova and the gas transit in Moldova, signed by Gazprom and Moldovagaz, are valid by late 2019.