The Government of the Republic of Moldova has approved the declaration of a state of emergency in the energy sector for a period of 60 days, starting from December 16, 2024. A contingency solution would be assistance from Romania, but our country’s energy system is also at its limit.

After the government in Chișinău approved the establishment of a state of emergency in the energy sector, Prime Minister Dorin Recean announced in a press conference that he would seek approval for this measure in Parliament, as reported by Unimedia.

“The suspension of natural gas supply to the Transnistrian region by Gazprom, based on the existing contract between Moldovagaz and Gazprom, will generate an imminent humanitarian crisis in the Transnistrian region, as well as an inevitable risk to ensure the stability of the electricity sector throughout the territory of the Republic of Moldova,” mentioned Oleg Serebrian.

Prime Minister Dorin Recean stated that Moldovagaz company is facing serious financial problems. Last week, the acting president of Moldovagaz, Vadim Ceban, announced that 80% of the necessary gas volumes for the winter season are secured. “The months of December and January are fully covered,” he said.

Moreover, starting from January 1, 2025, Moldova can no longer rely on Gazprom for the supply of natural gas to Transnistria, which will no longer transit through Ukraine due to a decision by Kiev. The Minister of Energy, Victor Parlicov, traveled to St. Petersburg to negotiate with Gazprom regarding the transit of gas to the Transnistrian region. Parlicov mentioned that Gazprom’s president, Alexei Miller, requested the Moldovan side to engage with Ukrainian authorities to persuade them to continue the transit of natural gas from Russia to Moldova even after January 1, 2025.

The electricity production in Moldova is ensured by the Cuciurgani thermal power plant in Transnistria, which operates on Russian gas. If Russia halts the gas supply, the Cuciurgani plant will no longer be able to deliver energy to Moldova.

One solution could be for the government in Chișinău to bring gas from Romania to operate the thermal power plant, if there is availability for the required volumes.

However, Romania is currently facing issues in the energy sector as well. The National Energy System of Romania is at its limit, with one of the causes being the pressure imposed by energy deliveries to Moldova and Ukraine, as reported by Economedia.

Romania’s electricity imports have increased by 60% this year compared to 2023, mainly due to maintenance activities at some production units, such as the one in Cernavodă, said Dan Drăgan, State Secretary in the Ministry of Energy.

He also mentioned that the lower production of capacities using solid fossil fuels should be taken into account, as it is determined by the need for maintenance work on equipment.

Drăgan also stated that there is currently no risk of widespread power outages in our country, even though the system is at its limit. “There is no such risk because Romania is interconnected with other countries and, if we follow the Transelectrica website, we see a balance, moments when Romania is a net exporter, thanks to wind or solar power production.”

In his opinion, representatives of the Ministry of Energy referred to this risk because they are working on different scenarios and possibilities, as in any economic activity.