In 2022, when the Russian company Gazprom unilaterally limited the volumes of gas delivered to the Republic of Moldova, the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline was a real lifeline for the country’s energy security, ensuring the transport of gas from the European market. This gas pipeline, including the gas metering station in Ungheni, allows consumers on the right bank of the Nistru to be provided with the necessary gas volumes even in winter, Minister of Energy Victor Parlicov stated during his visit to Ungheni, to the gas metering station of the Iasi-Chisinau gas pipeline, IPN reports.
The metering station, with a capacity of approximately 5 million cubic meters of gas/day, is managed by the gas transmission system operator of the Republic of Moldova Vestmoldtransgaz SRL.
“Until 2022, this infrastructure was used not much as traditionally gas came by another route, but when Gazprom unilaterally limited supplies to Moldova, this strategic facility helped us overcome the energy crisis, and our consumers can be sure that no one can now blackmail us with the shortage of gas. Now we are preparing the launch of the construction of a new gas pipeline – Ungheni-Balti - which will allow the transit of gas to underground storage facilities in Ukraine and will make the vertical gas transportation corridor more attractive,” said Victor Parlicov.
The construction of the Ungheni-Balti gas pipeline was included, along with other strategic projects, in the investment plan of the transmission operator, and the Government recently approved the establishment of the Preliminary Research Commission for the declaration of the public utility of national interest of these projects.
Among them is the construction of a ring gas pipeline of the Chisinau municipality, to which the Cimișlia-Hâncești main pipeline will be connected, over a distance of 40 km, which will optimize the supply of natural gas to the South-Center. The investments are to be made by Vestmoldtransgaz and Moldovatransgaz, and the value of the development projects will be determined based on feasibility studies and technical projects.
In August this year, the natural gas transmission system operator of Moldova Vestmoldtransgaz was definitively certified in accordance with the requirements of the European Union, thus concluding the process of unbundling or separation of the transmission from the distribution of natural gas. The obligation to unbundle gas transmission system operators is a requirement of the European Union’s Energy Package III, and the unbundling process took almost 5 years.
