Gas consumption increased in Moldova despite rises in price

A report of the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) regarding the current situation reveals that natural gas consumption in the Republic of Moldova (without the regions from the left bank of the Nistru River) in the first half of this year increased by 9% compared to the same period from last year, and reached 762,55 mln m3. According to the Press Service of ANRE, in the mentioned period the factories and plants from the energetic segment consumed 319,4 mln m3 gases, by 6.0% more than in the first semester of 2005, other economic agents - 179.9 mln m3, or by 3.2% more. The natural gas consumption of budgetary institutions increased from 20,7 mln m3 in 2005 to 26.7 mln m3, in 2006, a growth of 29%, and the domestic consumption - from 203.4 mln m3 to 236.5 mln m3, an increase of 16.3%. The repartition of gas consumption was as follows: factories from the energetic division used 41.9%, 31% - individual persons, 23.6% - other economic agents and 3,5% - budgetary institutions. ANRE specialists explain the increase in the consumption amount by the growth in demand of natural gas, mainly because the individual persons and budgetary consumers used more resources than usual, and also the energetic sector and other branches of the national economy used up more resources. Natural gas consumption was 101.6% paid off. The individual consumers paid 119% of the gas they used, budgetary institutions – 104.8%, economic agents – 99% and enterprises from the energetic sector – 91.5% of the amount consumed. In the first semester of 2006, a total volume of 818.7 mln m3 of natural gas, with a price tag of MDL 1 bln 190.5 mln were bought. Compared to the same period from last year, the volume of the bought natural gas increased by 8.5%, and the price of the purchased gas increased by 70.1%. This difference is caused by the increase in prices of natural gases by 56.8% - from MDL 927.6 /1000 m3 , in the first semester of 2005, to MDL 1454.1/1000 m3, in the period January – June 2006. Unlike the previous years, when natural gas was bought from 2 Russian based companies - „Gazprom” and „Gazexport”, from the beginning of 2006 this fuel is purchased only from „Gazprom”. According to the contract signed at the beginning of 2006 with „Gazprom”, the Republic of Moldova in January - June 2006 bought natural gas at a price of USD 110/1000 m3, by 37% more than the previous years. From July 1 2006, the prices fo natural gas increased by 45.5% and reached USD 160/1000 m3.