Distribution companies will select electric power suppliers

The new law on electric power formulated in accordance with the European standards provides for the liberalization of the market and offers the distribution companies the possibility of selecting the suppliers and buying electric power from the most convenient sources, Info-Prim Neo reports. In an interview, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Valeriu Lazar said the state-run company Energocom started to negotiate a new contract for the supply of electric power with the Cuchurgan power plant. The present contract expires on March 31. “We will see what price we will manage to negotiate and if it is advantageous, the distribution companies, including RED Union Fenosa, will purchase power from the Cuchurgan power plant. If other suppliers are identified, for example from Ukraine, they can buy power from them at more advantageous prices,” Lazar said. Asked how much power the Government of Moldova could buy from Ukraine through Energocom and then supply it to the state-run power distribution networks RED-Nord and RED Nord-Vest, Lazar said they will see what price they will negotiate. “We must have several sources from which to buy power so that we do not depend on one supplier,” he said. Currently, Moldova pays 5.08 cents/kWh for the power purchased from the Cuchurgan power plant. The press reported lately that Moldova could buy cheaper electric power from Ukraine, for 4.5 cents/kWh, if an agreement to remove the profit margin is reached. The Cuchurgan power plan recently increased the price of the power supplied by it, not yet for Moldova, as the contract expires on March 31. “We aim to purchase power at the most advantageous prices so that the charges for end-users are as low as possible,” Lazar said.