The state company Energocom will be obliged to ensure the storage of 45.6 million cubic meters of natural gas in strategic reserves.
This is provided for by appropriate amendments to the previous government decree on the creation and maintenance of strategic reserves of natural gas, which the Cabinet intends to approve at a meeting on Wednesday. In particular, the resolution will state that the volume of natural gas to be stored as strategic reserves is set at 45.6 million cubic meters, and these gas reserves must be created before October 1. Control over the implementation of this decision will be entrusted to the Ministry of Energy. The measures taken are aimed at ensuring the continuity and security of natural gas supplies to Moldova in case of an emergency. According to the Natural Gas Law, in order to ensure the security of natural gas supply, the government appoints a gas company, which undertakes to create and maintain natural gas reserves and supply it. Reserves of natural gas to ensure the security of natural gas supply (reserve reserves) must be equal to the consumption of natural gas for at least 10 days of consumption, while 1 day of consumption is equal to the average daily consumption for the calendar winter period of the previous year. At the same time, the exact amount of natural gas that should be accumulated as reserves is approved annually by a government decree on the proposal of the central sectoral public authority in the field of energy in accordance with the calculations made by the Agency. Currently, 22.8 million cubic meters of natural gas are stored as strategic reserves. It is planned that in order to fulfill the obligation to create and maintain natural gas reserves, the designated gas operator will enter into the necessary agreements and contracts with gas storage operators, including those from neighboring countries, from Energy Community contracting parties and from EU countries, as well as with system operators for networks through which natural gas, constituting strategic reserves, should be transported. It can be used in whole or in part on the basis of a decision of the Commission for Emergency Situations of Moldova, adopted in the event of an emergency, including in the event of a state of emergency. Any transactions with strategic reserves that are not related to their use or placement on the natural gas market are carried out in accordance with the decision of the National Agency for Energy Regulation. The legal entity responsible for the creation and maintenance of strategic gas reserves is Energocom. // 29.05.2023 — InfoMarket
