
The state-owned Energocom will buy gas this year at better market prices using 200 million euros received from the EBRD and Norway.
This was announced by the Ministry of Energy, noting that such a decision was made on Friday at a meeting of the interdepartmental committee on strategic planning. At the same time, 100 million euros will be used for gas purchases, which are provided by the Norwegian government as a grant, as well as an additional loan of 100 million euros from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. According to Energy Minister Viсtor Parliсov, the deals will take place on a common EU platform so that as many suppliers as possible can participate in them. It will also provide flexibility in the pre-qualification phase of the loan agreement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. Thus, the price of the natural gas portfolio owned by Energocom will be reduced, which will make it possible to purchase the volumes of gas required for the next heating season. According to the Ministry of Energy, the project "Reliability of natural gas supplies" worth 300 million euros is a revolving loan, valid from 22.08.2022 to 23.10.2025. It allowed Moldova to find alternative sources of non-Russian gas last year, when Gazprom » reduced the volume of supplies to Moldovagaz, preventing interruptions in the supply of gas to the population. Herewith, Moldova created for the first time strategic gas reserves stored in Romania and Ukraine. Prices for gas supplied by Moldovagaz's Energocom to consumers on the right bank of the Dniester were somewhat lower than those offered by Gazprom for Moldovagaz, whose volumes were redirected to the Transnistrian region. Energocom returned in April 35 million euros from the first tranche of the loan taken from the EBRD, and on July 1 will close the first tranche of 100 million euros. After the end of the Clean up period, this amount from the first installment can be taken again. The decision to purchase new gas is also motivated by the unpredictability of relations with Gazprom.// 26.05.2023 — InfoMarket.