The electric power tariffs on the right bank of the Nistru would rise at least twice if the Cuchurgan Power Plant fully paid for the natural gas supplied to it by Tiraspoltrangaz, economic expert Roman Chirca, who is the director of the Market Economy Institute, said in the talk show “White and Black” of Unimedia portal, IPN reports.
Roman Chirca stated his opinion on the issue in connection with the assessment of the mechanisms used by the enterprises from the left side of the Nistru to set the prices of electricity supplied to the right bank.
“From my viewpoint, not the Cuchurgan Plant dictated the tariff, but this tick called Tiraspoltransgaz. As Tiraspoltrnasgaz supplies gas to Cuchurgan, the delivery price is actually the lever by which the Transnistrian administration can determine its profit. Given that they renounced the financial assistance on the part of Russia, Tiraspoltransgaz could be forced to sell gas to a much higher price to the Cuchurgan Plant. The supply of electricity at the current prices to us will be thus in question. It is paradoxical, but we became dependent on the supplies from Cuchurgan based on the current non-transparent functioning formula,” he stated.
The expert also elaborated on the illegal and corruption schemes employed in forming the cost and delivery prices of electricity in the production process at the Transnistrian companies.
“The production of electric power by burning gas is a costly procedure. The evolution of the Moldovan thermoelectric plants CET 1 and CET 2 proves this. The Cuchurgan Plant burns gas and sells power to us. When it receives the gas gratis or at a very small price, it can afford to sell the electricity at the current price. If it generated power by burning gas bought at an appropriate price, the price would be at least two times higher than now. So, given that the Cuchurgan Plant does not pay for gas to Tiraspoltransgaz, it also does not pay to Moldovagaz, while Moldovagaz does not pay to Gazprom,” stated Roman Chirca.
