The Ministry of Energy says that there are a number of viable alternative solutions for the purchase of natural gas by Tiraspoltransgaz. According to secretary of state Constantin Borosan, making purchases on the BRM EST Moldova natural gas exchange is one of the solutions. Acquiring from exchanges in the region, such as the Bulgarian exchange Balkan Gas Hub and others, and transportation to the border with the Republic of Moldova is another alternative, IPN reports.
Constantin Borosan noted that in October 2024, representatives of Tiraspoltransgaz had meetings at the BRM's headquarters where they were instructed how to trade on the exchange. The parent company SA Moldovagaz has the richest experience of purchasing on the BRM and shared this experience with Tiraspoltransgaz.
The official also referred to another solution, which he considers viable. According to him, on December 31, JSC Energocom, based on an agency agreement with Moldovagaz, delivered a volume of 240 MWh of natural gas to Moldovagaz on a trial basis, demonstrating that, from commercial and logistical points of view, it is possible to supply gas to the Transnistrian region through the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline in reverse mode.
"If the giant Gazprom did not know how to do this, it can learn from Moldovan companies," said Constantin Borosan.
In his opinion, implementing Energy Package 3 in the Transnistrian region, by separating the supply activity from the transmission and distribution activity – unbundling, obtaining a supply or trading license and purchasing natural gas from any sources on the globe – is another solution. For example, Energocom broughtliquefied natural gas from the United States of America.
Gas deliveries to the Transnistrian region were stopped on January 1 by the decision of the Russian company Gazprom, which invoked the non-payment of a debt of US$709 million, an amount that was not confirmed by Chisinau. The Moldovan authorities accused the Kremlin of energy blackmail.
As a result, the activity of hundreds of enterprises in the region was put on hold. The administrative, educational and housing institutions were disconnected from the heating system. Gas continues to be supplied to apartment buildings so that the people can prepare food.
Until December 31, 2024, the Transnistrian region daily received by 5.7 million cubic meters of Russian gas and used these volumes to satisfy the consumption needs of the inhabitants of the region and to produce electricity for both banks of the Nistru River.
