Romanian company intends to import electricity from Moldova

The Romanian electric power distributor E.ON Moldova Distribution, which is owned by the German energy company E.ON, has plans to import electricity from Moldova through two lines, via the north and south of Moldova, starting from this month, the publication “Romania Libera” (Free Romania) reports. Ferenz Csulak, deputy director general of E.ON Moldova Distribution at Campulung Moldovenesc, told the publication: “We wanted to import electricity from the Republic of Moldova. Initially, Transelectrica did not allow us to, for technical or other reasons, but now the discussions produce results. We could import power through two lines, via the north and south of Moldova, under the ‘island’ system.” According to the cited source, the eastern states attempt to close the market in a move to protect the energy producers from the respective country. Cheaper electricity from other zones will enter the market, if they open it. Moldova is not a member of the Union for the Coordination of Transmission of Electricity (UCTE). The European Union banned the UCTE member states from importing electricity from countries that are not members of the Union. Therefore, E.ON will use the stand alone ‘island’ system under which a sector of the Romanian network will be separated and will be supplied with power by another state. The company encounters a number of difficulties in purchasing electricity, because Hidroelectrica, the largest Romanian energy producer that provides power at the lowest prices, and Nuclerelectrica generate lower amounts of electricity owing to the fall in the flow capacity of the rivers and of the Danube as a result of the drought.