Moldovan state-owned company and primary gas supplier Energocom has begun conducting a series of auctions to procure natural gas for the coming gas year from October 1, 2026 to September 30, 2027, the company reported.
"Since July 16, Energocom has conducted five rounds of auctions for standardized quarterly and annual energy products to supplement the gas portfolio for the cold season. The auctions were organized in accordance with the natural gas procurement procedure approved by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development," the company said in a statement.
At the auctions, two lots of up to 276,000 MWh were offered for the fourth quarter of 2026, two annual lots of up to 365,000 MWh and one lot of up to 270,000 MWh for the first quarter of 2027. The total volume of gas purchased therefore ranges approximately from 0.9 to 0.91 billion cubic meters (bcm) depending on its quality and contents.
"The tenders conducted allowed for contracts to be signed for part of the necessary volumes. The procurement process is ongoing, and the company will organize new tenders in accordance with the approved strategy and depending on the market situation," the statement reads.
The process of signing the contracts for gas volumes for the 2026-2027 gas year will last until the end of October.
As reported, Energocom appealed to Moldova's National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) last week to request that regulated natural gas tariffs be raised 45.1%, as natural gas prices in Europe increased sharply due to a re-escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
According to Energocom, the existing regulated prices were calculated based on the average weighted purchase price for natural gas in 2026, which amounted to 404.24 euros per 1,000 cubic meters; however, this price is now estimated at approximately 623.54 euros per 1,000 cubic meters for August-December 2026.
ANRE said on Tuesday that it would review the request from Energocom to raise the regulated tariff for natural gas paid by household consumers on July 24.
The state-owned Energocom was appointed the country's designated gas supplier and granted the right to provide public utilities services from September 1, 2025, replacing JSC Moldovagaz, whose license to supply gas was revoked by ANRE. Energocom currently accounts for over 90% of the gas imported to right-bank Moldova and is responsible for supplying over 830,000 consumers with gas.
Moldova imports around 0.9 bcm of natural gas each year, which it purchases on international commodity exchanges, primarily in Romania.
