The Transnistrian region is affected by the reduction in the amounts of natural gas supplied by Gazprom and the effects will be both economic and financial in nature, said Deputy Prime Minister for Reintegration Oleg Serebrian. According to him, if Gazprom fully halts the gas supplies, the Kuchurgan power plant can use the coal supplies to produce electrical energy during two more months. The self-styled Transnistrian administration also bank on the Dubăsari power plant that produces 60% of the electricity needed by the residential customers of the region, IPN reports.
Oleg Serebrian noted that the chief negotiators of Chisinau and Tiraspol in the discussions agreed to maximally save natural gas. The authorities from the left side of the Nistru noted that the large energy consumers of the region drastically reduced operations.
“Saving on both sides is the proposal on which we insist. The Rybnitsa steel works cut operations by 70%. The cement plant did the same. They save at the expense of large consumers. They will reduce the supplies of electricity to the right side to 23% given the shortage of gas. The coal supplies are emergency supplies that will be used if the natural gas supplies are fully stropped. The crude oil supplies they have are needed for starting the coal burning process, but these can satisfy only the Transnistrian region’s electricity needs during at most ten weeks,” Oleg Serebrian stated in the program “Reflection Points” on Vocea Basarabiei station.
On Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu said that for November Gazprom confirmed again the supply of only 5.7 million cubic meters of gas a day for the Republic of Moldova, which is 51% of the amounts stipulated in the contract. Oleg Serebrian said that if the Kuchurgan power plant stops work, Tiraspol will supply residential customers with electricity produced by the Dubăsari power plant that increased its production following the rise in the level of water in the Nistru.
“But the annual capacity of the Dubăsari power plant can satisfy about 60% of the needs of residential customers in the Transnistrian region. We agreed with Tiraspol to continue the discussions. Experts from both sides will continue to discuss so as to identify a solution. I didn’t have the feeling that there is contentment in Tiraspol due to the created situation. The region is surely affected and the effects will be economic and financial in nature. The Kuchurgan power plant already works at reduced capacity,” stated Oleg Serebrian.
According to the Moldovan authorities, of the 5.7 million cubic meters of gas supplied by Gazprom to Moldova, the right side of the Nistru will receive 3.4 million cubic meters of gas a day, while the left side – 2.3 million. This means the Transnistrian region will get by over 40% less gas than in October.
