The Vertical Gas Corridor remains a vital project for Moldova’s energy future – Energy Ministry
This was stated by Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu, speaking at the 11th Ministerial Meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council and the 3rd Ministerial Meeting of the Green Energy Advisory Council held in Baku. According to the Moldovan Energy Ministry, these international events brought together officials from around the world to discuss energy security and the transition to sustainable energy sources. At the opening of the event, Junghietu stressed the importance of continuous diversification of natural gas supply sources to ensure Moldova’s energy security in the context of the recent energy crisis caused by Russia. He noted that Moldova has experienced a number of energy crises in recent years, starting in 2021, largely caused by Russia’s actions. "However, we have managed to turn these challenges into opportunities by strengthening our energy security and diversifying our supply sources," said Dorin Junghietu. He also reiterated our country's strong commitment to integrating the energy sector into the single European market ahead of EU accession and thanked the EU, Romania, Ukraine and other international partners for their continued support. The Moldovan Energy Minister reiterated that the continued diversification of natural gas supply sources, including imports from Azerbaijan, remains essential to meet our energy needs. Dorin Junghietu noted that Moldova was the first country to commercially use the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector and one of the first to benefit from LNG supplies to the Alexandroupoli terminal. "We have demonstrated the commercial viability of the vertical corridor by transporting gas to underground storage facilities in Ukraine. “Even in the context of the risks generated by the war in Ukraine, we remain confident in the long-term viability of this model,” added the Moldovan Energy Minister. At the same time, he expressed confidence in achieving a single tariff for the entire vertical gas corridor, which will support commercial development and ensure its long-term sustainability. “A transparent and unique tariff structure will make the Southern Gas Corridor more attractive for businesses and investors,” concluded Dorin Junghietu, emphasizing Moldova’s strong commitment to the common goals of energy security, sustainability and market integration. As for the energy transition, he emphasized that Moldova has already made significant progress towards decarbonization and the use of renewable energy sources. “Over the past 4 years, the installed capacity of renewable energy sources has increased 8-fold, and on March 31, we completed the first tender for 165 MW of photovoltaic and wind projects. We also intend to launch another tender by the end of this year, which will also include energy storage systems to increase the flexibility and stability of our network,” said the Moldovan Energy Minister. Another important topic that Dorin Junghietu touched upon was energy efficiency programs for residential and public buildings, which are one of the government’s main priorities. “In our sector, the demand for energy efficient solutions is constantly growing. We appreciate that international companies will bring the necessary experience and investments to meet this demand,” the Moldovan Energy Minister noted. The events in Baku brought together ministers, high-level representatives of the Southern Gas Corridor member and partner countries, heads of the most important energy companies, as well as international financial institutions. The meetings discussed global topics related to ensuring continuous and reliable energy supply, as well as the main challenges of the global energy landscape. // 04.04.2025 — InfoMarket
