Energy consumption increased by 12.5% this year

The electric power consumption in Moldova increased by 12.5%, from January to September 2006, as the power supplies to the consumers amounted to 2 bln 193,45 mln kWh in this period, a report of the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) shows. According to the source, the highest increase in power consumption – of 12.9% - was registered in the zones supplied by the electric networks of the Union Fenosa Company in Moldova. In the zones serviced by North-West Networks and North Networks this index increased by 12.7 and, respectively, by 10.5%. At the same time, ANRE report shows that in the same period the rate of technologic consumption and financial losses at the distribution networks has reduced by 15.3%, which allowed this rate not to exceed the norm of 14.38% included in the current tariff. The national regulation authority experts think that this objective was achieved due to the investments performed by the distribution enterprises for reconstructing and modernizing the power networks, as well as thanks to the actions taken in an attempt to eliminate the unjustified power losses, in particular electricity theft. According to the same report, in nine months of the year the country’s power plants have produced 671.9 mln kWh of power, by 14. 4 mln kWh more compared to the corresponding period of 2005. The highest increases - of 25.6 and 2.7% - were reported by CET–Nord in Balti and CET–2 in Chisinau, which generated in the reference period 39.08 mln and, respectively, 479.55 mln kWh of electricity. During this time, the national producers’ rate of power supplied to internal consumers amounted to 25.4 %, the rest of the necessary energy being covered by the imports from Ukraine. According to ANRE data, in January-September 2006, total power purchases increased by 7.4% and constituted 2 bln 650.2 mln kWh, compared to the corresponding period last year.