Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu said the sudden rise in the price of electricity on the foreign market is an inexplicable phenomenon. As a result of this, Moldova for November 29 has an electricity shortage of 74%. Not to plunge the county into darkness, Energocom will purchase emergency power whose price will become known later, but this varies between €200 and €300 per 1MW/h as the previous purchases show, IPN reports.
On Monday, Moldelectrica was informed by Energocom that the planned amount of electricity for November 29 could not be acquired. This will lead to a shortage of 74%. Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development Andrei Spînu called on the citizens to save electricity as the shortage will be covered with emergency power whose price is much higher than the price on the commodities exchange.
“Regrettably, we do not know beforehand the price of emergency power. We have an inexplicable phenomenon – a significant rise in the price of electrical energy on the European market, including Romania. The rise is of 30-40%. Energocom offered a smaller price and was unable to purchase electricity for all the necessary hours. Therefore, Moldelectrica asked for emergency power from Romania’s Transelectrica. It goes to a shortage of 74% of the amount we usually import. The call is to economize more. The more we save, the less emergency power we buy. So far, the price of emergency power was €200- €300, depending on the day,” Andrei Spînu stated in the program “In Depth” on ProTV Chisinau channel.
The Deputy Premier said the authorities do not give up returning to the purchase of electrical energy from the Kuchurgan power plant. Permanent discussions are held to have partial electricity supplies for December from the left side of the Nistru, but an agreement is not yet definite.
On Monday, ex-Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alexandru Slusari said that despite Tiraspol’s rhetoric about the energy crisis, the Rybnitsa steel plant works as usual, without environmental permit for pollutant emissions, and exports its products through Moldovan customs posts unrestrictedly. Andrei Spînu denied these assertions.
“We are following the situation. The information that the Rybnitsa steel plant works as usual wasn’t confirmed. We saw an increase in power consumption on the left side during particular periods, towards morning. Then the plant probably works to satisfy very small necessities. But we cannot speak about classical functioning at the plan, from morning till evening,” said the Minister of Infrastructure and Regional Development.
