Romania’s Government amended an emergency ordinance, including Moldovan energy traders among the customers (traders/suppliers) whom local producers should sell electricity under bilateral contracts at a price no higher than RON 450 (EUR 90) per MWh, Mold-street.com reported.

At the same time, the Government endorsed a RON 50 mln (EUR 10 mln) grant for the budgetary support of Moldova, more precisely for helping the country buy energy.

Moldova’s state company Energocom is already registered as a trader on Romania’s energy market and consequently can purchase electricity at a price set under the emergency ordinance (EUR 90 per MWh).

The electricity supplied by Transnistria is cheaper (since Transnistria doesn’t pay for the Russian gas) but is limited.

The Romanian Government’s move to include Energocom among subsidised energy consumers is visibly aimed at helping Moldova cope with the scarce energy resources after Gazprom cut the gas supplies and Ukraine can no longer export electricity.

Moldova used to import some 30% of its electricity from Ukraine, with a small share of 20% being produced locally (only during the cold season) and most of the supplies coming from separatist Transnistria. But the scarce gas supplies delivered by Gazprom since October 1 forced Moldova’s power plants, both in Transnistria and Moldova proper, to rely on fuel oil and coal as much as possible.

andrei@romania-insider.com

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