As from April, electricity imported from Romania could become much more expensive According to Bani.md, an official document on the ratification of a new loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which is to be approved at Thursday's sitting of Parliament, reveals these details with a major impact on electricity bills, IPN reports.

The increase in the price of electricity imported from across the Prut comes in the context of the expiry of the Emergency Ordinance No. 119/2022 of the Romanian Government, which allows until March 31 to purchase electricity at a capped price of 400 RON/MWh (approximately 80 euros/MWh). Respectively, after this date, Moldova risks buying energy from Romania at much higher prices, dictated by the free market.

According to the draft law's argumentation note, after gas supplies to the Kuchurgan power plant (MGRES) were stopped on January 1, Moldova became dependent on energy imported from the ENTSO-E area, especially from Romania.

In January and February, 62% of the country's electricity needs were satisfied with imports, primarily through bilateral contracts and regional exchanges. The weighted average price of energy was 133 euros/MWh, below the ceiling regulated by the National Agency for Energy Regulation, of 145 euros/MWh, but the situation could change suddenly with the complete liberalization of the market.

In the document, the Government acknowledges the risk of "high price volatility" and the impact it could have on end consumers, particularly on the vulnerable ones. It was therefore decided to extend the use of a tranche of the EBRD loan, initially intended exclusively for natural gas, for the purchase of electricity in order to guarantee the necessary liquidity in case of steep price increases. The first tranche, to the value of 100 million euros, could be used by Energocom for urgent purchases of electricity from commodities exchanges and through direct contracts.