The supply of electrical energy to consumers can be reduced proportionally as of October 11 if the situation concerning the supply of natural gas is not remedied, the administration of the Moldovan Thermoelectric Power Station (Kuchurgan Power Station) says in a public letter. Contacted by IPN for a comment, Alina Merlici, adviser to the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development, said that Andrei Spînu is discussing the supply of natural gas to Moldova and other issues with Russian decision makers, including of Gazprom, in St. Petersburg and the resuts will be made known when the official returns home.

The Moldovan Thermoelectric Power Station informs the consumers about the probability of the supply of electricity being reduced or even halted until the problems related to the supply of gas to Moldova are not solved and a new contract between Gazprom and Moldovagaz is not signed. The announcement was made after the gas supplier of the Republic of Moldova called on the consumers to reduce gas consumption by using alternative fuels, primarily the business entities, such as sugar factories, which can use crude oil instead of gas.

The contract for the supply of natural gas to Moldova signed by Gazprom and Moldovagaz expired on September 30 this year and the two companies agreed to extend it for one more month.

The volume of electricity supplied by the Kuchurgan Power Station, which is owned by the Russian gas giant Inter RAO UES, represents over 80% of the electrical energy consumed by the  Republic of Moldova, without the Transnistrian region. The rest of the power is produced by the Chisinau Thermoelectric Plant, CET Nord, and from renewable sources of energy.