Transgaz could receive € 46 million in non-reimbursable European funds to increase the capacity of the pipeline to transport gas to the Republic of Moldova, said Ciprian Alic, head of the company’s European Funds Accessing and International Relations Division.

“We are in the final phase of the evaluation procedure on the Large Infrastructure Operational Program for Oneşti-Gherăeşti-Leţcani project, 165 kilometers of pipeline and two compressing stations. Until now the feed-back is positive, thus I hope the project will benefit, after the assessment, of about 46 million euros as a nonrefundable grant”, Alic said.

This project will increase the capacity of the existing interconnector to 1.5 – 2.2 billion cubic meters per year to Moldova, according to Agerpres.

At the same time, in respect to the BRUA pipeline for gas transportation from Black Sea shore to the rest of Europe, the Transgaz representative showed that the realization of this project does not mean that all gas will be exported out of the country. However, in order to use gas from the main pipeline, the gas distribution system needs to be strengthened.

“I read in the media that somebody wanted the Romanian gas to be exported, that we simply gave gas to foreigners, and that Romania was left without gas. Sure, we have a problem with the distribution network, it is a legislative problem that I saw was being solved, it is a program through which the administrative territorial units can connect to the distribution grids and to the national transport system. Tuzla-Podişor-BRUA, which is the entire southern corridor, is not a highway with no exists”, Alic said.

The official reminded that Transgaz has an investment plan of 1.6 billion euros for the next 10 years.