Page 11 - FSUOGM Week 39 2022

FSUOGM POLICY FSUOGM

Gas crisis in Moldova will first hit

separatist Transnistria

RUSSIA GAZPROM hasn’t confirmed whether it will season) and prepared for natural gas imports
agree to deliver natural gas to Moldova after from Romania and Ukraine that can be financed
Gazprom has not October 1, when the second deadline for the from a €300mn financing line made available
confirmed whether audit of the historic debt expires, Deputy Prime by the European Bank for Reconstruction and
it will deliver gas to Minister Andrei Spinu announced on Septem- Development (EBRD).
Moldova after October ber 27, speaking to ProTV. While Moldova proper can more or less han-
1. Moldova’s gas supply contract with Gazprom dle the situation thanks to robust financial sup-
includes a requirement for the Moldovan side port received from various foreign development
to audit its historic debt to the Russian gas com- partners, Gazprom stopping the gas supplies
pany, and a delay in doing so could result in its would first and foremost hit separatist pro-Rus-
gas supply being cut off. This comes on top of the sian region of Transnistria — which receives
struggles Moldovan gas company Moldovagaz 1.7bn cubic meters of the 3bn cubic metres Gaz-
is having each month to make its payments to prom sends to Moldova per year.
Gazprom. Transnistria uses most of the gas to produce
“It’s something they do, Gazprom doesn’t electricity for the rest of Moldova — and one can
usually answer in a timely manner,” he added, assume that Moldova may keep providing gas to
implying that the authorities in Chisinau are Transnistria in exchange for electricity. But such
clueless about future developments. a scheme, under market terms, would severely
If the gas stops flowing, Spinu argued it will hit the public budget of Transnistria, which has
be for political rather than for financial reasons, never paid for Russian gas.
rhetoric also used by President Maia Sandu. However, Chisinau may be inclined to avoid
Moldovagaz will soon make an upfront pay- such arrangements and pay the market price to
ment of $33mn on the account of September Romania and Ukraine, assuming the two neigh-
deliveries, Spinu stressed. This implies that the bouring countries have the capacity to provide
Moldovan company, controlled by Gazprom, gas.
managed somehow to pay the bill for August “Transnistria will have to buy gas at the mar-
deliveries by September 20. The government has ket price, just like the population on the right
avoided providing direct help. bank of Dniester. Moldovagaz or Energocom
Moldova also hired (with a long delay) inter- will procure it and will deliver it, with the pay-
national auditors for evaluating the claims Gaz- ment in advance. If they are not able to pay, I
prom holds over Moldovagaz. know they have quantities of coal that would be
A sudden interruption in the supply of gas enough for two months to last the next period,"
by Gazprom to Moldova is an increasingly Spinu said.
likely scenario that the country has prepared However, an important element in future
for: it purchased limited reserves (35mn cubic developments is that Transnistria currently pro-
metres), it is buying oil for its thermal plants that vides electricity to the rest of Moldova at a low
can deliver 10-15% of electricity during the win- price, a price that includes a “discount” facilitated
ter months (since the plants are combined heat by the free gas obtained by the separatist region
and electricity units used only during the cold from Russia. ™

Week 39 30•September•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P11