Latest news with #Moldovagaz
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Russia's Gazprom denounces Moldova move to alter gas supply system
Aug 7 (Reuters) - Russian gas giant Gazprom ( opens new tab on Thursday denounced a move by Moldova's gas authority to withdraw the licence from its local subsidiary for distributing gas, saying the move damaged its affiliate and jeopardised Moldova's energy security. Moldova's gas regulator, the National Agency for Energy Regulation, this week said the licence to distribute gas had been withdrawn from Moldovagaz, 50% of whose shares belong to Gazprom, and turned over to the state-run Energocom company. Distribution of gas to 800,000 consumers, it said, would be taken over by Energocom from September 1. The dispute centres on what Gazprom describes as Moldova's failure to pay at least $709 million in arrears for gas supplies, mainly from state-run industries. Moldova, citing audits, says it owes no such debts, which were the focal point of a halt of gas supplies in January. The cutoff, which coincided with an end to gas transit through Ukraine, halted gas supplies for weeks to homes and industry in Transdniestria, a pro-Russian separatist region on Moldova's border with Ukraine. Gazprom, in its latest statement, said Moldova had failed to resolve the debt issue, adding the gas concern had issued proposals to find a solution to the arrears. "The Moldovan government has introduced a series of measures leading to, in the final analysis, the forced reorganisation of Moldovagaz ... a sharp rise in gas prices and, as a consequence, a decline in the country's energy security," Gazprom said. Gazprom said it would continue "to defend its lawful rights and interests with all available means." Moldova has long been in dispute with Gazprom over prices and what the Russian gas giant describes as arrears. It has actively sought to reduce reliance on Russian supplies and clinched agreements to purchase gas from suppliers in Europe. It said its decision was taken as Gazprom was demanding payment of arrears it did not recognise and was failing to implement changes demanded by the European Union on separating responsibility for transporting and supplying gas. Moldova's pro-European government is seeking EU membership by 2030. Moldovagaz Chairman Vadim Ceban said this week the issues were "political" in nature and therefore out of the company's control.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Transnistria again declares economic emergency over Russian gas cut
Moldova's Russian-occupied Transnistria region declared a 30-day state of emergency in its economy on June 11, citing a sharp reduction in natural gas supplies, Moldovan media outlet Newsmaker reported. The unrecognized region, located in eastern Moldova along the Ukrainian border, has faced growing energy shortages since January, when Russian gas giant Gazprom halted deliveries to the territory. Transnistrian leader Vadim Krasnoselsky issued a decree unanimously approved by parliament. Lawmakers said the state of emergency was necessary due to a "severe general economic crisis" and ongoing socio-economic decline from the energy crunch. It is the sixth consecutive extension of emergency measures in the region since December 2024. The most recent 90-day extension expired on June 8. Transnistria had previously received around 2 million cubic meters of gas per day, but since early June, daily supplies have been halved, according to Moldovan energy official Alexander Slusar, cited by Newsmaker. "This is a request from the company Tiraspoltransgaz (the largest gas supplier in Transnistria), which justifies its decision by citing a lack of funds," Slusar said. Chisinau has not been buying Russian gas since 2022, but Russian-occupied Transnistria continued to get its gas from Russia until Jan. 1, 2025. The halt in gas deliveries on Jan. 1 was due to Ukraine's decision to stop Russian gas transit, including supplies to Moldova, and Moldova's debt for gas supplies. Transnistria had been effectively acquiring gas free of charge — a political tool that Russia used to keep the region under its control. The breakaway region's debt for Russian gas amounts to more than $10 billion, according to Moldovagaz, a subsidiary of Russian gas giant Gazprom. On Feb. 14, Transnistria began receiving gas through a new arrangement: fuel is delivered via a Hungarian company through Moldovagaz, the largest energy company in Moldova, with payments funded by a Russian loan. The new arrangement followed extensive power outages in Transnistria, which drove the region toward industrial collapse. In February, Moldova's government said Transnistrian authorities rejected a 60 million euro ($62 million) EU energy aid package under pressure from Moscow, which continues to exert tight political and economic control over the region. Transnistria, home to around 465,800 people, remains internationally recognized as part of Moldova but has been controlled by pro-Russian separatists since the early 1990s. Russia maintains a military presence in the territory, despite international calls to withdraw. Read also: As Russia inches closer to Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, new Ukrainian region might soon be at war We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Reuters
07-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Romania's OMV Petrom signs deal covering quarter of Moldova's gas demand
May 7 (Reuters) - Moldova has secured a quarter of its annual gas supply needs in a deal with the Romanian oil and gas group OMV Petrom ( opens new tab, a top Moldovan energy official said on Wednesday, with first deliveries expected in 2027. The agreement is crucial for Moldova, which has been dependent on Russian gas for decades but has moved to diversify supply following Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everything you need to know about the global energy industry. Sign up here. Romania's energy ministry announced the three-year supply deal from its pending Black Sea project Neptun Deep, one of the European Union's most significant gas deposits with an estimated 100 billion cubic meters of recoverable gas. Jointly owned by OMV Petrom and the Romanian state-owned gas producer Romgaz ( opens new tab, the project is on track to deliver its first gas in 2027. "In a situation where Moldova's relations with Russia's Gazprom ( opens new tab have broken down, obtaining gas directly from Neptun Deep increases the reliability of Moldova's natural gas supply," Vadim Ceban, CEO of Moldovan national gas company Moldovagaz, told Reuters. He added that the deal will account for 25% of Moldova's total demand for gas, which is estimated at 3.2 billion cubic metres a year. Moldova's pro-Russian breakaway region Transdniestria used Russian gas even after the Ukraine invasion, but plunged into an energy crisis earlier this year after Gazprom stopped deliveries. Romania's energy ministry said the contract with Moldova's Energocom amounted to less than 1% of Neptun Deep's estimated reserves. Neptun Deep is Romania's biggest energy project in almost two decades. It will double Romania's gas production and likely turn it into a net exporter, at a time when the EU is weaning itself off Russian gas. OMV Petrom, which is majority controlled by Austria's OMV ( opens new tab, will also supply Germany's Uniper with 15 terawatt hours of gas from Neptun Deep under a five-year deal. The company and Romgaz plan to sell the gas separately, but under Romanian law the government will have a pre-emptive first right to gas from the project under certain conditions.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Unrecognised Transnistria returns 3 million cubic metres of borrowed gas to Moldova
The Russian-backed region of Transnistria has returned three million cubic metres of gas to Moldova, which had been borrowed to keep the region's gas system operational. Source: Moldovan news outlet Newsmaker, citing Moldovagaz, the largest energy company in Moldova, as reported by European Pravda Details: Moldovagaz reported that Tiraspoltransgaz, the largest gas supplier in Transnistria, had returned the three million cubic metres of natural gas borrowed under the terms of the contract. The gas was provided to maintain pressure in the region's gas transmission system and ensure its functionality. Under the terms, Transnistria had until 1 March to either return the gas or pay for it. Background: Effective 1 March, energy tariffs in unrecognised Transnistria will be raised following the region's cessation of receiving free Russian gas on 1 January. Earlier, Chișinău and Tiraspol agreed on a scheme for gas supply to Transnistria through a Hungarian company with Russian loans. This supply arrangement was approved after Tiraspol rejected the €60 million offered by the European Union to resolve the energy crisis. The assistance was tied to several economic and political conditions. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hungarian foreign minister reveals how Hungary helped supply gas to Transnistria at Russia's request
A gas trader with Hungarian capital signed a contract to supply gas to the unrecognised region of Transnistria. Source: Hungarian news portal as reported by European Pravda Details: Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed at a press conference with the Secretary General of the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) on Friday, 21 February, that a few weeks ago, he was approached by the Russian deputy prime minister responsible for energy regarding this issue. Quote from Szijjártó: "I then held negotiations with several Hungarian-owned energy companies, as well as with the Moldovan foreign minister, and as a result, a company with Hungarian capital will indeed transport natural gas to the region of Transnistria." Szijjártó didn't name the company involved. Background: Until 10 February, Transnistria received gas through the first tranche of European aid. However, it later refused further EU assistance and announced plans to purchase gas using loan funds provided by Russia. On 11 February, Moldova's state gas supplier, Moldovagaz, transferred 3 million cubic metres of gas to Transnistria "on credit" to maintain the stability of the gas transport system. On 12 February, it was reported that Moldovagaz purchased 2.59 million cubic metres of gas for Transnistria on the Romanian exchange using a prepayment from Transnistrian gas supplier Tiraspoltransgas. On 14 February, Transnistria began receiving gas from a Hungarian company via Moldovagaz, paying for it with funds from a Russian loan. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
