Moldova buys gas to meet needs for $1,094 per 1,000 cubic meters in Dec, 40% above Gazprom's price

CHISINAU. Jan 20 (Interfax) - The average price for the gas consumed by Moldova from sources other than Gazprom in December 2022 totaled $1,094.44 per 1,000 cubic meters, the press service for Moldova's state-owned Energocom said.

Energocom sold 96 million cubic meters of gas to Moldovagaz to meet the needs of Moldova's domestic market in December. Moldova fully moved away from consuming gas supplied by Gazprom at the beginning of December 2022. All Russian gas, which is supplied at 5.7 mcm per day, is sent to Moldovan GRES in Transdiniestria to generate electricity.

Gazprom's price for gas in December totaled $785 per 1,000 cubic meters, meaning that gas from alternative sources was almost 40% more expensive for Moldova on average.

Moldovagaz is receiving gas purchased by Energocom on the free market as a replacement. The company purchased gas using 300 million euros provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. The gas purchased is stored in Romania and Ukraine, although the amount of gas has not been disclosed by the authorities. According to the latest data from Energocom, the gas purchased will last Moldova through the winter and spring of 2023.

Energocom had planned to supply Moldovagaz with 100 mcm of gas at a price of approximately $1,108.61 per 1,000 cubic meters, but the volumes supplied were lower due to warm weather and a lower purchase price for gas affected the final price, the press service said.