CHISINAU (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 16th April, 2023) Moldova is testing new sources of gas imports and has purchased a small amount from Greek gas operator DEPA at a price of 477 Euros ($530) per thousand cubic meters, Moldova'a Energy Ministry said.
"Energocom (Moldovan state-owned energy company) purchased in test mode 24 MWh (about 2,250 cubic meters) of natural gas, 1 MWh, from Greek operator DEPA. The price of the purchase is 45 euros per MWh, which amounts to approximately 477 euros per 1,000 cubic meters," the ministry said.
Moldova's goal is to test waters with the logistics of gas imports from suppliers other than Russia.
The Moldovan government believes that its cooperation with Greece is key to ensuring that gas from neighboring Ukraine's underground storage facilities can reach Central Europe in the cold season. Greece is South Europe's main LNG hub, with almost half of that gas coming from the United States. Moreover, Energocom is the world's first and so far only company with practical experience of using the "vertical corridor" Greece-Bulgaria-Romania-Moldova-Ukraine.
In October 2021, Moldova's government agreed with Russia's Gazprom to extend its gas supply contract for five years. In December, Chishinau returned to buying electric energy from a Moldovan power plant, owned by Russian company Inter RAO and located in breakaway Transnistria. For that purpose Chishinau agreed to give all the gas it gets from Russia to Tiraspol in return for electric energy. Regardless of Russia's guaranteeing the gas supply, Moldova is seeking to diversify its gas import.
