Moldova's Moldovagaz purchases 65.6% of required gas volume for 2024-2025 heating season to date - - acting CEO

CHISINAU. Nov 25 (Interfax) - Moldovagaz has bought 448.150 million cubic meters of natural gas for the 2024-2025 heating season, which covers 65.6% of the country's required volume, Moldovagaz Acting CEO Vadim Ceban posted on social media.

"JSC Moldovagaz has planned to purchase natural gas totaling 682.722 million cubic meters in order to meet consumer demand in the 2024-2025 heating season, specifically 316.575 million cubic meters for October-December and 366.147 million cubic meters for January-March. Moldovagaz purchased natural gas totaling 316.575 million cubic meters in August-September for October-December2024, which is 100% of the overall required consumption volume," Cheban said.

Cheban said that Moldovagaz bought 131.575 million cubic meters of natural gas from September to November for the first quarter of 2025, or 35.9% of the required volume. This specifically entails 94.429 million cubic meters for January at the required 162 million cubic meters, 17.049 million cubic meters for February at the required 111.049 million cubic meters, and 20.097 million cubic meters for March at the required 93.098 million cubic meters.

"Consequently, Moldovagaz has currently bought 448.150 million cubic meters of natural gas for the 2024-2025 heating season, which covers 65.6% of the required volume. Another 234.573 million cubic meters must be purchased, thus JSC Moldovagaz has initiated the process to buy the required natural gas for the first quarter of 2025 on the Romanian Commodities Exchange trading platform next week. This should fully cover consumer demand, including 67.571 million cubic meters for January, 94 million cubic meters for February, and 73.002 million cubic meters for March," Ceban said.

Moldova's Energy Minister Victor Parlicov previously said that the country's delegation would hold talks with Gazprom on Monday, November 25, with the main topic being gas supplies to the Transnistria Region.

In October, the Moldovan government approved an action plan to prepare for the 2024-2025 heating season. The document indicates that there is a risk of contract termination despite there currently being a contract for gas supplies with Gazprom to the Transnistria Region. There is also uncertainty about the continuation of Russian gas transit through Ukraine as of January 1, 2025.

Gazprom had reduced the daily volume of gas supplied to Moldova by 30% to 5.7 million cubic meters per day from October 1, 2022. Gazprom attributes this to technical problems associated with the restriction of gas transit through Ukraine. The entire volume of gas from Gazprom has been shipped to Transdniestria since then, thereby covering over 80% of Moldova's electricity needs. The contract with the Moldovan State District Power Plant in Transnistria is valid until the end of 2024.

The right bank of the Dniester buys gas on the spot market for current consumption and for winter reserves. Moldovagaz currently supplies gas from state-owned Eenrgocom, which buys gas from European traders.