Transnistria turns off power in Moldova
The Supreme Council of Transnistria today approved a decree introducing an emergency situation in the economy.
The decision is due to a reduction in Russian gas supplies to Moldova by 30% in October and 40% in November. The Russian monopolist explains the restriction by the refusal of Naftogaz of Ukraine to accept transit fuel at the Sokhranovka gas measuring station. The gas is now redirected to the Sudzha station, which the Ukrainian Armed Forces are mercilessly bombing. Restrictions for Moldova also affected the unrecognized Transnistria, since, according to the Minister of Economy of the PMR Sergei Obolonnik, the incoming volume of gas is “split” into two countries.
The largest Transnistrian industrial enterprises (Moldavian Metallurgical Plant and Rybnitsa Cement Plant), as well as mining farms, have already been stopped. This covers only 22 million cubic meters of the nearly 37 million deficit. The turn has come to the Moldavian State District Power Plant, which supplies electricity not only to Transnistria, but also meets 70% of Moldova’s needs.
The decree approved today declared the supply of electricity outside Transnistria impossible.
“Our practice is that we enter into a contract with Moldova for every month. Naturally, this contract must be secured with gas. If I had known that Gazprom would decide to reduce gas supplies to Transnistria, we would not have concluded such a contract,” said Transnistrian President Vadim Krasnoselsky, speaking at the Security Council of the republic.
According to the Minister of Economy, the gas deficit in the PMR at the end of October is 15 million cubic meters.
“The worst thing is that we are already taking over the system, and such modes can lead to shutdowns. This is what caused such a large-scale urgent reaction. In a state of emergency, we will not be able to ensure the supply of electricity to Moldova in full. The entire shortfall will fall on electricity as major events have already been stopped. The priorities have been determined - first of all, providing for the population,” Obolonnik said in an interview with the Novosti Pridnestrovya news agency.
The heating season in Transnistria will begin on Monday, social facilities are already being heated. Utility tariffs will not be raised, benefits will not be cancelled. In the worst case scenario, MoldGRES has coal reserves for two months.
On the right bank of the Dniester they cannot reassure the population in the same way. The energy deficit in Moldova’s energy balance is already 284 megawatt-hours. In this regard, Premier Energy announced possible interruptions in electricity supplies, including “rolling blackouts.”
The day before, Ukraine refused to supply electricity to Moldova. Then the local government urgently concluded a contract with Romania. However, its volume will cover only 22% of the needs, and Romanian electricity costs several times more than Transnistrian electricity.
Previously, Transnistria had to put pressure on Moldova, conditioning supplies from MoldGRES on the lifting of far-fetched Moldovan bans. Thus, this year the Environmental Agency of Moldova refused to issue an authorization to the Moldavian Metallurgical Plant (MMZ) in Rybnitsa (Transnistria) to collect scrap. The enterprise was shut down several times, although there were no real violations.
Justifying himself for finally issuing authorization to the Transnistrian enterprise, Moldova’s Deputy Prime Minister for “reintegration” Oleg Serebrian admitted that in 4-5 months the country saves more than 1 billion lei by buying electricity from MoldGres.
“Are you asking me why we are giving environmental authorization to the Rybnitsa Metallurgical Plant? And the more than a billion lei that we saved on electricity, is this an argument or not? In the villages, they didn’t ask me about the environmental license for the Metallurgical Plant, but about the price of electricity,” Serebryan said.
Now there is no bargaining item left.
Transnistria cuts off power to Moldova