Energy Minister, US Secretary of Energy discuss energy security of Moldova, development of vertical gas corridor

The energy security of the Republic of Moldova, as part of regional and European security, as well as the current progress on the Vertical Gas Corridor project, were among the main topics discussed by Minister of Energy Dorin Junghietu with Secretary of Energy Chris Wright during a recent working visit to the United States.

The officials reviewed several concrete proposals to further develop the Vertical Gas Corridor, which will strengthen and enhance regional energy stability and security.

At the same time, the discussions focused on the energy security of the Republic of Moldova. Junghietu reiterated that for Moldova, energy is not only an economic issue but one of national security, and that the complete elimination of energy dependencies that have made Moldova vulnerable in the past is a strategic objective.

Another topic of discussion concerned the further development of the energy partnership between the Republic of Moldova and the United States, including in the context of building Strășeni–Gutinaș high-voltage power line, financed by the US, and how American expertise, technologies and investments can bring significant benefits to both countries, anchoring the Republic of Moldova in the Euro-Atlantic space.

The Republic of Moldova and Ukraine joined the Vertical natural gas transport Corridor in 2024, which currently also includes Greece, Bulgaria, Romania and Hungary. Launched in 2016, the Vertical Corridor now integrates the Trans-Balkan gas pipeline and allows the transport of natural gas from Greece to Moldova and to the underground storage facilities in Ukraine. The pipeline can carry both pipeline gas from Azerbaijan and liquefied natural gas (LNG), including from the United States, from the Greek terminals Revythoussa and Alexandroupoli.

The Trans-Balkan gas pipeline historically transported Russian gas to the Balkans via Ukraine, Moldova and Romania, but it remained inactive after Russia redirected its gas exports in 2020 through the TurkStream 1 and 2 lines. A significant part of the transport capacity along the Trans-Balkan Corridor remains underutilized despite growing demand for gas flows from south to north, towards Ukraine. To encourage the use of this route, a unique transport product has been created on this corridor, providing for a discount on gas transmission tariffs of 25% in Greece and Bulgaria, 50% in Romania and Moldova, and 46% in Ukraine, on the condition that the gas is transported through a series of dedicated points directly to the underground storage facilities in Ukraine.