The volume of natural gas Romania imported in January increased considerably by 60% year-on-year to 4.26TWh and the import price went up by 37% to RON 124.6 (EUR 26.7) per TWh, according to the latest data consulted by Profit.ro.

The source concludes that this was an effect of the Government capping the price that local natural gas producers can charge and compelling them to supply their output preferentially to households (and small businesses).

Meanwhile, Russia is preparing to discontinue the transfer of natural gas through Ukraine, Romania, and Bulgaria to the Balkans and Turkey as long as both North Stream and the TurkStream (followed by TANAP across Turkey and further connections to Balkans) make such a route unnecessary, according to another Profit.ro article. Ukraine's failure to reach a deal with Gazprom might put Romania in the situation of seeking to import gas from other sources than the North-South pipeline that crosses Romania’s territory from Ukraine to Bulgaria in the vicinity of the Black Sea coast.

editor@romania-insider.com

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