Junghietu Rules Out Purchases from MGRES Citing High Costs

In response to a question about the possibility of resuming electricity imports from the Transnistrian region this summer in case of a shortage in Romania, the minister stated that this option is extremely costly, especially considering that Chisinau supplies gas in exchange for electricity. “This scenario is very costly. If we analyze the market price of gas, it amounts to about 35-36 euros per MWh. Adding the transmission tariff, the cost reaches 43-45 euros per MWh. At MGRES, producing one megawatt of electricity requires about 3 megawatts of gas. The math is simple – as a result, the final price is much higher than the offers available on the market,” the minister explained, reports bani.md. According to Junghietu, the situation is further complicated by the fact that the Tiraspol regime does not pay for gas supplied by Chisinau. “We are fully aware that the tariff they charge there does not cover the actual cost of the gas. This gas was accepted by Chisinau as a political compromise, the so-called ‘humanitarian gas’. If this type of gas continues to be supplied to power MGRES, it is a political issue, not an economic one,” Junghietu emphasized. In conclusion, the minister was categorical: “At the moment, we are not considering the option of purchasing electricity from the left bank of the Dniester.” Recall that former Energy Minister Victor Parlicov previously stated that in the absence of local balancing capacities, Moldova will face a fait accompli: “We will inevitably return to MGRES for balancing energy. At some point, an energy deficit will arise, and we will be told that the only solution for balancing is electricity from Cuciurgan.”