Moldova tackles power shortage amid supply suspension from Ukraine

Chisinau, Oct 12 (IANS) Moldova has managed to get all electricity it needs from the Kuchurgan Power Plant located in its breakaway Transnistria region, amid supply suspension from neighbouring Ukraine.

Under an agreement between the Moldova authorities and the power plant reached on Tuesday, the country’s gas company Moldovagaz would allocate an additional 0.9 million cubic meters of gas per day to the Kuchurgan plant for generating electricity, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spinu said.

He explained that the bombings in Ukraine had disconnected Moldova from the war-torn nation’s electricity grid, reports Xinhua news agency.

Until Monday, the Kuchurgan plant had supplied around 70 per cent of Moldova’s electricity needs, with the rest being covered by imports from Ukraine.

“Our priority is to provide electricity to the country at the lowest possible price in this complicated situation,” Spinu said.

He added that he held talks on Monday with Ukraine, Romania and the European Union to find a solution to Moldova’s electricity supply problem.

Local analysts believe that Moldovagaz will likely tap the country’s gas reserves, estimated at 55 million cubic meters, to feed the Kuchurgan plant.

–IANS
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