Moldovan Energy Ministry unveils plan on preparation for 2024-2025 cold season

Chisinau, 31 July /MOLDPRES/ - The Energy Ministry has elaborated and published the Plan for the preparation of the next cold season for public consultations.  The draft provides for 45 measures for ensuring the security of the providing of energy resources in the next winter, including the voluntary cutting of the consumption of natural gas by 15 per cent and promotion of the use of alternative fuels. At the same time, the plan envisages two scenarios of behavior of the Russian giant Gazprom, following the expiration of the contract on transit of natural gas across Ukraine on 1 January 2025.       

Thus, under the plan, by mid-November 2024, the security stocks of 15 per cent of the average annual consumption are to be created; the state reserves of crude oil and coal are to be filled up to the maximal level provided, although the supply of the Termoelectrica enterprise with crude oil is not scheduled; the creation and maintenance by interruptible consumers of stocks of alternative fuel; creation and maintenance of reserve stocks of fuels by sugar mills; verification and maintenance of electric generators in public institutions and the endowment with generators of the institutions where they are lacking; use of the solid biofuel in the institutions endowed with special boilers.      

The Energy Ministry said that the winter Plan envisaged two scenarios of behavior of the Russian giant Gazprom, after the expiration of the contract on transit of natural gas across Ukraine on 1 January 2025.

One of the scenarios sees that ‘’the Russian side will look for alternative routes for the supply with gas of the Transnistrian region, taking into account the contractual obligations of Gazprom for Moldovagaz. In this situation, Moldova’s authorities will not obstruct the delivery, in continuation, of natural gas by the Moldovagaz stock company to the Tiraspoltransgaz Ltd Company, the ministry noted.    

In the case of the second scenario, in which Gazprom would cease the deliveries of natural gas, ‘’the gradual enforcement of more measures of attenuating the impact of this decision will be considered,’’ the Energy Ministry informs. Yet, even in the case of the ceasing of the supply of natural gas by Gazprom, the Ministry estimates that there is not deficit of natural gas for the consumers from the right bank of Dniester and the disconnection of the interruptible consumers will not be necessary. If needed, the Energocom stock company will be able to ensure the necessary quantity of natural gas to the categories of protected/vulnerable consumers from the Transnistrian region through the Tiraspoltransgaz Ltd Company against a respective payment of the costs for the procurement of natural gas.     

„Even if the present natural gas transportation infrastructure allows the ensuring of the transport of gas necessary for covering the consumption of Moldova (for both banks of Dniester), there are risks as to the capacity of the consumers on the left bank of Dniester to buy gas at market prices,’’ the plan reads.    

At the same time, the quoted source informed that, to supply with electric energy the right bank of Dniester in a pessimistic scenario, it would be necessary to increase the import of energy from EU countries and increase the commercial capacities at the Romania- Moldova border, given the limited capacity allocated by ENTSO-E for the UA/MD block for covering the needed quantity of import for the consumption of the right bank from Romania and other EU countries. Also, other power lines with the 110 kV are to be activated.  

The activities of preparation for the cold season will be coordinated and monitored by a special governmental commission.