Moldova ready to help Transdniestria with gas, but no requests made - Moldovan energy minister
Chisinau will help provide the Transdniestrian region with gas if necessary, Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu told reporters after a government meeting on Wednesday.
"The right bank of the Dniester is fully provided with gas, the authorities are ready to help the left bank, if necessary. No requests for gas supply have been received from the administration of Transdniestria yet. Last year, the Republic of Moldova supported the Transdniestrian region. The same will happen this year," he said.
The National Agency for Energy Regulation of the Republic of Moldova (ANRE) has put the Moldovagaz company in charge of supplies to the left bank of the Dniester, he said.
"Moldovagaz supplies gas to the left bank. In early October, they purchased 50% of the necessary volume of 57 million cubic meters as an insurance reserve, to which they are entitled in keeping with the storage obligations," Junghietu said.
Moldova is ready for the cold season, the Energocom state company has purchased all necessary gas for the 2025-2026 heating season, he said. The company has created a reserve for energy security in an amount of 50 million cubic meters, which is stored in Romania and Ukraine.
"The purchase of 15% of the storage volumes established by the legislation will be completed by November 1. Coal and fuel oil have been fully purchased for the heating season, Moldelectrica and Energocom are ready to intervene if need be," the minister said.
Transdniestria introduced a strict gas-saving regime on October 2. Transdniestria's Economic Development Minister Sergey Obolonik said temporary regime had been introduced due to "unfavorable circumstances."
"Electrical power for the population, for domestic and humanitarian needs, will be generated on a priority basis," Obolonik said. Transdniestrian companies will not be able to buy gas in the coming one and a half weeks, if not longer, which is why industrial enterprises are halting operations, he said.
The supply of hot water has stopped in the Transdniestrian region due to the gas-saving measures, heating is off, there is no methane in gas stations. The Moldovan Power Plant (Moldovan GRES), which uses natural gas, continues normal generation of electricity for residential buildings, schools, and hospitals.