For uninterrupted supply of gas to consumers, Moldova needs long-term contracts for gas supplies, which guarantee the stability of supplies, purchase prices and tariffs - Vadim Ceban.
This opinion was expressed by the Chairman of the Board of Moldovagaz in his telegram channel. He noted that the energy crisis that Moldova faced 2 years ago has passed into the stage of energy instability. In our country, the situation is further aggravated by the direct dependence of electricity supply on natural gas supplies. Moldavskaya GRES, which generates electricity for both banks of the Dniester, runs on gas supplied by Moldovagaz. Vadim Ceban recalled that gas supplies to consumers on the Right Bank of the Dniester are currently provided only through purchases from Energocom at exchange prices, but these are short-term contracts, the planning horizon of which is no more than six months. According to him, the purchase of gas on spot exchanges makes it possible to cope with the shortage in emergency situations, to get out of the turbulent state. This is an effective measure in the short term. Sharp fluctuations in spot prices, depending on the season, economic and political situation, negatively affect the purchase price and the final tariff for consumers. The head of Moldovagaz also drew attention to the fact that storing reserve volumes of gas on the territory of another state is also associated with risks. In recent months, the European Union has paid close attention to Ukrainian underground storage facilities, but traders, due to known circumstances, are not yet in a hurry to use Ukrainian underground gas storage facilities (UGS). Vadim Ceban clarified that a certain amount of gas can be stored in Romania, although there are not so many places in Romanian UGS facilities, and storage costs will be much higher than in Ukraine. At the beginning of June, similar sites in the EU approached full capacity - almost 80%. According to Vadim Ceban, in the future, Moldova may face competition not only for gas at spot sites, but also for fuel storage sites. He stressed that Moldova has a full-fledged gas transmission system, which works both to provide domestic consumers on the two banks, and for the transit of natural gas. Four entry points (from Romania and Ukraine) allow to receive diversified energy sources. All conditions have been created in the country for the uninterrupted supply of consumers with gas and, taking into account the specifics of the operation of the MGRES, with electricity. "This is possible if there are long-term contracts that guarantee the stability of supplies, purchase prices and tariffs," said the head of "Moldovagaz". He also pointed out that the European Union intends to abandon the practice of long-term contracts by 2049, relying on "green" energy. The transition took 26 years. A fundamental restructuring of the system and consumer mentality needs a solid foundation that the energy stability of this period can provide. Germany - the flagship of "green" energy - prefers to enter the "new world" with a long-term contract. In September 2022, the oil and gas company of the emirate of Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi National Oil Company signed a contract for the supply of liquefied natural gas to Germany by RWE. Qatar Energy in 2022-2023 signed 2 contracts with Chinese companies. The longest term is 27 years. “The security of the economy is based on the predictability of the conditions and rules of cooperation. Long-term and medium-term contracts allow for strategic planning and implementation of projects to develop the system at the level of the state and an individual household,” Vadim Ceban concluded. // 10.07.2023 — InfoMarket.
