Expert-Grup

Extending the Iași-Ungheni Gas Pipeline to Chișinău Will Help Ensure Moldova's Energy Independence (Study)

Thursday, 4 February 20167292 views
Extending the Iași-Ungheni Gas Pipeline to Chișinău Will Help Ensure Moldova's Energy Independence (Study)

Automatically translated summary. The full article is available in Romanian.

A study by the Independent Think Tank “Expert-Grup” and Expert-Forum (Romania), financed by the Embassy of the Netherlands in Bucharest, concludes that extending the Iași-Ungheni gas pipeline to Chișinău, where 50-60% of Moldova's imported gas is consumed, would be a decisive step towards energy independence and reduce dependence on Gazprom.

The pipeline opened in August 2014 after a EUR 26.5 million investment, about 80% covered by Romania and the EU. Its capacity is 1.5 billion m3 a year, yet in 2015 only 1 million m3 was imported through it, about 1% of national consumption. Moldova's debts for Russian gas reached 65% of GDP in 2014, and Gazprom makes continued deliveries conditional on non-application of EU energy legislation.

The extension could draw EUR 10 million from the EU, with EUR 80 million from European financial institutions (EBRD, EIB). The authors recommend implementing the Third Energy Package, ensuring an independent and effective ANRE, stimulating domestic demand, resolving MoldovaGaz's historical debts and minimising the impact of political instability, which also affects EU financial support.

View the original article in Romanian