Chisinau not going to hinder Gazprom's shipments to Transdniestria after its contract with Ukraine ends - Moldovan Energy Ministry
Moldova will not be hindering Russian natural gas supplies to Transdniestria once the gas transit contract between Gazprom and Ukraine expires on January 1, 2025, the Moldovan Energy Ministry's website said in the run up to the central-heating season as part of public consultations.
There are two likely scenarios of the Russian giant's behavior after that date, he said.
"One involves Russia seeking alternative routes for sending gas to the Transdniestrian region, which takes into account Gazprom's contractual obligations to Moldovagaz, in which case Moldovan authorities will not be preventing Moldovagaz from further sending natural gas to Tiraspoltransgaz," the website said.
Under the second scenario, if Gazprom stops supplying gas, several measures will be phased in to mitigate the effects of that decision, the ministry said. "However, even if Gazprom discontinues natural gas supplies, the ministry reckons there will be no gas shortages for consumers on the right riverbank and it will not have to cut off consumers with a nonstop work mode," it said.
Energocom, the Moldovan state company which sends gas to Moldovagaz, could, if necessary, ensure the supply of gas in needed amounts to protected/vulnerable consumer groups in Transdniestria via Tiraspoltransgaz, for the corresponding payment of the cost of buying gas, the ministry said.
This option carries risks in terms of consumers' ability to pay for gas at market prices, it said.
In addition, to ensure power supplies to the right bank of Dniester, in a worst case scenario Moldova would have to import more electricity from the European Union and increase transit capacity on the border with Romania, the ministry said.
In late May Moldova's Energy Minister Victor Parlicov said there was an informal arrangement with Ukraine to continue natural gas supplies to Transdniestria once the country's transit contract with Gazprom expires at the end of 2024. According to the preliminary arrangement, the new route, via Turkey, is a viable option for delivering Russian gas to Transdniestria, the minister said. Ukraine will stop to transit Russian gas from January 1, 2025.
