Romania’s former Premier Ludovic Orban urges the Moldovan authorities to reduce energy dependence on the Kuchurgan power plant, which he describes as money laundry as MGRES does not pay for the gas used to produce electivity. He noted that the reorientation to the energy market of Romania by creating the necessary transport infrastructure should be the Republic of Moldova’s strategic objective, IPN reports.
According to the former Romanian Premier, the authorities in Chisinau and Bucharest should have consistent discussions on the possibility of storing gas in Romania, at an advantageous price. Currently, the Republic of Moldova stores gas in war-torn Ukraine. Ludovic Orban noted that in a not too distant future, Romania will be able to satisfy its internal gas necessities and to supply the Republic of Moldova with the necessary volumes.
“It’s a pity that Romania didn’t consider storing the Republic of Moldova’s gas at a competitive price in Romania too. It’s true that we have particular conditions set at European level, to fill 90% of the underground storage facilities. But I think that there was place for additional gas storage. The issue is related to the transportation and supply capacity and there are many things to be done here. Energy interconnection is essential for the Republic of Moldova, which does not have gas storage facilities and resources. Romania has gas resources. When the resources in Caragele, Buzau Region, start to be exploited, we will have gas production that will exceed internal consumption. We will have gas that could be supplied at a reasonable price to the Republic of Moldova,” Ludovic Orban stated in the program “At 360 Degrees” on Radio Moldova.
Moreover, the ex-Premier of Romania called on the Moldovan authorities to set the reduction of dependence on the electrical energy produced by the Kuchurgan power plant as a priority. He said MGRES is a dubious entity that is part of a weird currency circuit.
“As regards electrical energy, we also had a bad period. During 25 years, no serious investments had been made to increase electricity production. However, when the investments made now are completed, Romania will increase its capacity to produce electrical energy and will be able to supply the electricity market of the Republic of Moldova at advantageous prices. From my viewpoint, dependence on the Kuchurgan power plan should be slashed. The Kuchurgan plant is managed by a company related to Gazprom, which takes gas from Moldovagaz that, for its part, takes gas from Gazprom. It is a weird money circuit. It is a money laundry as the Kuchurgan plant does not pay for the used gas. This chain of weaknesses can break at a certain moment. The Government should set the reduction of dependence and interconnection with Romania’s networks as a strategic objective,” said the Romanian politician.
Currently, Moldova purchases electricity from the Kuchurgan power plan at the price of US$73 per MW. The agreement is valid until March 2023.
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