The Dignity and Truth Party (PDA) has formally asked prosecutors to investigate Termoelectrica’s decision to select the Moldovan company Horus for rehabilitating one of its cogeneration units, after recently it became known that the unit suffered a major breakdown just two weeks after it had been put back into operation.

Horus was competing against two other bidders, the Romanian company Turbo Energy and the Ukrainian company Kharkov Energoremont, when to the surprise of many – especially to the lowest bidder Turbo Energy – Termoelectrica called off the tender process. Later, Horus was selected as the winner following direct negotiations. And PDA suspects this was done “with the consent, or complicity, or at the direct orders” of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development.

Adding insult to injury, cogeneration unit 3 that was announced operational again on October 25 broke down on November 10, in an incident that Termoelectrica apparently tried to keep on the hush.

“As a result of this failure, risks are high that there will be problems with providing Chisinau households with heat. At the same time, it is important to note that in the process of generating this heat, the facility would have produced up to 80MWh of power. This represents about 15% of the country’s energy needs. Due to this failure, today we have to buy this amount from Romania at an average price of 200 euros/MWh, while Termoelectrica suffers enormous financial losses, of approximately 7.5 million lei each day, and fails to meet its electricity supply obligations, under which it also risks penalties”, PDA said in a statement.

The party suspects the deal with Horus was concluded illegally and asks the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate.