LONDON (ICIS)–Moldova’s best chance to consolidate its gas sector is to couple up with the Romanian market, the CEO of gas incumbent Moldovagaz told ICIS on 24 May.
Speaking on the 25th anniversary of the company, which is majority owned by Russia’s Gazprom, Vadim Ceban said the country and Moldovagaz were facing major changes including the establishment of a competitive market, an internal reshuffle and not least the future of the Russian gas transit from 2025.
Ceban said the key step towards establishing a competitive gas market in line with EU rules would involve setting up a functional balancing market.
Nevertheless, he warned Moldova would struggle to introduce balancing operations in the immediate future because this would entail scaling up the deployment of smart metering and ensuring there were enforceable penalties for imbalances.
To fast-track the process, Moldova should consider coupling the market with Romania’s, which already has a daily balancing market and benefits from the experience of a variety of participants including domestic producers and suppliers, Ceban said.
As an EU candidate member, Moldova is expected to implement rules related to establishing market competition, unbundle transmission operations and consolidate institutions.
Published by: www.icis.com
Aura Sabadus
24-May-2024
