Gazprom has no plans to supply gas to Transnistrian in January 2025 (Photo: Evgenia Novozhenina / File Photo / Reuters)
Russia’s gas giant Gazprom has not reserved any gas transit capacity for the unrecognized Moscow-backed separatist enclave of Transnistria for January 2025, Moldova’s Energy Ministry reported on Dec. 17, according to the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.
The auction among international traders took place on Dec. 16. Currently, Gazprom’s natural gas supplies to Transnistria via Ukraine amount to 5.7 million cubic meters per day.
The ministry further explained that the daily consumption of natural gas on the left bank of the Dniester River (Transnistria) in January 2025, in particular at the Moldovan hydroelectric power plant (HPP) for electricity generation, is estimated at 3.7 million cubic meters per day. If the Moldovan thermal power plant (TPP) is fired by coal, Transnistria’s daily consumption is estimated to be between 2.3 and 2.7 million cubic meters per day, taking into account minimized industrial activity and measures taken to reduce consumption. Both facilities are located in Transnistria.
The next auction for reservation of transportation capacities for January will be held daily starting from Dec. 31, 2024 and throughout January. However, in case of daily reservations, the cost of gas transit will be higher.
The Moldovan government has not ruled out the termination of Russian gas supplies to Transnistria after Jan. 1, 2025. Consequently, the Moldovan parliament has decided to introduce a state of emergency for 60 days starting from Dec. 16. Similarly, the administration of the unrecognized Transnistria has also announced the introduction of a state of emergency in the economy for 30 days starting from Dec. 11.
If Russian gas does not flow to the left bank of the Dniester, there will be blackouts on the Chisinau-controlled right bank, as Moldova receives about 70% of its electricity from the Moldovan HPP in Transnistria.
On Nov. 25, during Russian-Moldovan talks in St. Petersburg, a new gas supply route bypassing Ukraine through Turkey was discussed. However, this alternative route also crosses Ukrainian territory.
Moldova purchases Russian gas for Transnistria via Ukraine, with a contracted volume of 9 million cubic meters per day, although only about 5.7 million cubic meters are currently supplied. This entire volume stays in Transnistria, while Chisinau imports gas from the European market through the Yassy-Ungheni-Chisinau pipeline from Romania.
With the end of the transit contract between Gazprom and Naftogaz of Ukraine on Jan. 1, 2025, gas supplies to Moldova may be completely halted. Historically, the gas supply contract has included deliveries to both Moldova on the right bank of the Dniester and Transnistria on the left bank, where the Moldova State Regional Power Station (2.5 GW, owned by Inter RAO) is located, supplying electricity to Moldova.
In October 2021, Gazprom and Moldovagaz signed a five-year contract to supply 3.3 billion cubic meters of gas annually. However, at the end of 2022, Russia reduced deliveries to Moldova by half, citing Ukraine’s blockade of one of the two entry points into the export pipeline.
The Moldovan government also refuses to recognize a historical debt for gas supplies, which Gazprom estimated at $709 million during 2021 negotiations.
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