Moldova starts gas imports from Romania through Iasi-Ungheni pipeline

Chisinau, 4 March /MOLDPRES/- Gas supplies from Romania through the Iasi-Ungheni pipeline started today. In 2015, Moldova will import one million cubic metres of gas, providing over 10,300 consumers from the western Ungheni and Nisporeni districts.

"One of the government's goals is connection to the EU energy market, which offers more solutions to the country's energy security. The government does its utmost to provide Moldova with alternative energy sources", Deputy Economics Minister Valeriu Triboi said.

He said the Romanian gas would be pumped in the current network of Moldova-Gaz. "The price for end consumers will not be changed. The same rates will be for the entire country. When the pipeline is built up up to Chisinau, we will be able to speak about increasing volume and decreasing prices. For now, the price is 1,010 Romanian lei per 1,000 cubic metres", Triboi said.

The official said a feasibility study on extending  the Ungheni-Iasi gas pipeline  up to Chisinau was presently carried out, and that according to estimations, its construction would be completed by late 2017.

Investments amounting to over 60 million euros, of which 10 million will be earmarked by the EU, are needed to extend the gas pipeline up to Chisinau. Its capacity will be 1.5 billion cubic metres per year, more than Moldova's consumption. 

For his part, the head of the Ungheni district, Iurie Toma, said 19 settlements of the district would be supplied with alternative gas from the EU. "We have 280 economic agents that will be supplied and two settlements from the Nisporeni district. It is about 10,350 beneficiaries. We hope to expand to other settlements from the Ungheni district", Toma added.

The Vestmoldtransgaz state-owned company will provide gas transportation service through the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline, under the license got in early January 2015. Gas will be supplied through Iasi-Ungheni pipeline by OMV Petrom company, of the Austrian oil and gas group OMV, which concluded a one-year contract with the Energocom company on 22 December 2014.

The construction of the Iasi-Ungheni gas pipeline, with a length of 44 km, was completed in August 2014 and implied investment worth 26 million euros.

(Reporter V. Berco, editor A. Răileanu)