Moldova to declare state of emergency in energy sector as Romania struggles as well

Moldova, Romania’s small eastern neighbor, is set to declare a state of emergency in the energy sector for 60 days, starting December 16, 2024. The announcement was made by prime minister Dorin Recean during a press conference.

This situation has arisen because the Republic of Moldova can no longer rely on supplying Transnistria with gas from Gazprom, which will no longer transit Ukraine starting January 1, 2025, following a decision by Kyiv. Additionally, a dispute between the Moldovan government and Gazprom regarding an alleged debt is making negotiations worse.

Moldova currently receives electricity from the Cuciurgani power plant in Transnistria, which operates on Russian gas. Without Russian gas, Cuciurgani cannot operate, and cannot deliver electricity to Moldova.

“There is no transit problem – there are delivery routes for natural gas to the Republic of Moldova and to the left bank of the Dniester. If Gazprom’s intention materializes, it will result in a humanitarian crisis stemming from two sources. The first is the lack of energy resources for basic needs in the middle of winter. The second issue is the lack of income for these people to purchase basic goods. This is the context and the problems the Government of the Republic of Moldova needs to resolve," Recean said, cited in the press release.

One solution could be for the government in Chișinău to bring gas from Romania to keep the power plant running, provided the required volumes are available. However, Romania's National Energy System is also at its limit, a fact acknowledged in an official government document, due in part to the pressure caused by energy deliveries to Moldova and Ukraine. Moldova can only import around 315 MW through the interconnection with Romania, an insufficient amount at peak hours.

“This vulnerability is exacerbated by the fact that the Isaccea-Vulcănești interconnection line crosses Ukrainian territory, making it susceptible to disruptions in the event of new attacks on energy infrastructure in the neighboring country,” the PM noted.

On November 29, the National Energy Regulatory Agency (ANRE) in the Republic of Moldova decided to increase the tariff for consumers, a measure which will take effect on December 1, 2024.

(Photo source: Sjankauskas | Dreamstime.com)