The year 2022 is a “terrible” one from the perspective of the price and companies’ access to energy sources, but in 2023 new price increases are expected, said Jose Luis Gomez, country director of the electricity supplier Premier Energy Moldova.
“This year is a terrible one, with possible limitations of gas supplies from Gazprom in October or November. If we talk about electricity, my opinion is that in 2023 the prices will continue to rise, but the government’s decision to grant bill offsets is salutary,” said Gomez, during the “Regional Approach – Chisinau” conference, organized by Energynomics.
The company currently buys 70% of its electricity from Energocom, which in turn buys it from Transnistria, and the difference of 30% from Ukraine, but at a higher price. For next year, Gomez expects Premier Energy to secure all the energy it needs from Ukraine, but at the market price, which is much higher than the one compensated by the government in Chisinau. Also, all energy producers in the Republic of Moldova will ask the regulatory authority for new tariff increases, in order to be able to secure the necessary funds for the purchase of electricity.
Premier Energy Moldova recently announced the signing of an electricity procurement contract from Energocom to ensure the required volume of electricity for the month of October 2022. Thus, 70% of the required volume of energy for the entire month of October will be provided from the Power Plant of at Cuciurgan at the price of 63 dollars/MWh, 27% of the required volume for the first half of October will be bought from Ukraine at the price of 77.9 dollars/MWh. At the same time, the remaining 3% will be purchased, for the entire month of October, also from Ukraine, but at a price of 134 dollars/MWh.
“Although it is not the worst scenario, but it is not an optimistic one either, I think that next year we may have to buy all the necessary energy from Ukraine. I think there will be another price increase. The whole market is a mess,” he added.
DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION OF JOSE LUIS GOMEZ
The Power System of the Republic of Moldova is interconnected with the power systems of neighboring countries through overhead power lines, namely 21 lines with Ukraine and five lines with Romania. From the perspective of increasing security of supply, the Republic of Moldova puts its hopes in energy coupling with Ukraine and Romania through several interconnection lines. A number of such projects are already in development or under analysis, including by Transelectrica.
The conference „Regional Approach Chișinău” was organized by Energynomics with the support of our partners: BRM East Energy MD, Huawei, Kawasaki Gas Turbine Europe, Schneider Electric, Transelectrica, and Transgaz.