Moldova will repeat the gas attraction of Ukraine
Moldovagaz's debt to Gazprom reached 431,66 billion rubles. This is stated in the annual financial report of the Russian monopolist.
Most of the debt (more than 90%) falls on Transnistria. Moldova has repeatedly proposed to transfer the Transnistrian part of the debt to the Transnistrian gas transport operator Tiraspoltransgaz LLC, but Gazprom prefers to keep the debt for Moldova as a lever of pressure on it.
The fact is that the active construction of Nord Stream forced Moldova to look for alternative options, or at least declare them. Transit of Russian gas from Ukraine has already decreased by 22%. At the beginning of next year, Moldova may lose its transit status and will be left alone with Gazprom.
The other day, the country's Prime Minister Pavel Filip announced on his Facebook that on May 2 the construction of the main gas pipeline from Romania Ungheni - Chisinau will begin. Romanian Transgaz has signed all the necessary contracts for the implementation of the project, the cost of which is estimated at 93 million euros.
The first section of Iasi - Ungheni was built with funds from the EU grant 27 more in 2014, but there were practically no deliveries along it, and the continuation of construction was disrupted. It is not surprising, since Romania produces about 10 billion cubic meters of gas per year and consumes 11 billion. The shortage is compensated by purchases of Russian gas. Last year, Russian gas supplies accounted for 11% of consumption in Romania.
Thus, a mixture of cheap Romanian and expensive Russian gas will flow through the new Moldovan pipeline. Moreover, it is likely that the mixture of this cocktail will be more expensive than pure Russian gas. Ukraine demonstrated approximately the same attraction of unprecedented energy independence when it received reverse Russian gas from Slovakia.
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