Premium article – An order of the National Energy Regulatory Authority allows gas exports

An order issued by the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) published on Friday in the Official Gazette allows gas exports. Basically, exports will be possible through the interconnection pipelines with Hungary and Bulgaria, but also through the future pipeline to the Republic of Moldova (Iasi-Ungheni). [cleeng_content id=”778762309″ description=”Buy this translation today. This article has 3052 characters with spaces. ” price=”4.49″ t=”article”]The new ANRE Order regulates the capitalization of natural gas amounts from the domestic market and the modality of establishment/authorization of the structures of the natural gas mixture. Under the order, the notion “domestic/import mixture” means “gas mixture established from natural gas from the current domestic production/storage and current natural gas acquired from import or other states from the community space/storage”. The same order shows that in order to determine the monthly structures of gas mixture, until the 10^th of the month before the supply month, producers, suppliers, distribution operators, storage operators, the transmission and system operator, as well as the eligible clients have the obligation to submit to Transgaz various information. In terms of the gas producers and suppliers, there is an obligation to send information related to the natural gas amounts from domestic production meant for sale in other states of the community area.

The importance of the Iasi-Ungheni pipeline for the Republic of Moldova

For the Republic of Moldova, this project is very important, being a solution to reduce its reliance on Russian gas. The interconnection pipeline Ungheni-Iasi would have a transmission capacity of 1.5bcm per year. Two years ago, during a visit to Romania, the Moldovan Minister stated that Moldova wanted to replace between 15% and 30% of Russian imports with gas coming from alternative sources. In this way, the reliance on Russian gas can be reduced. Therefore, Moldova follows with great interest the projects that Romania is involved in, such as Nabucco. In late May 2012, the Government approved a decision on the technical and economic indicators of the gas pipeline Ungheni-Iasi. It is a project included in the Moldovan-Romanian Cooperation Protocol from May 24^th 2010. After the completion of the Ungheni-Iasi gas pipeline, a bulk of the gas demand of the Republic of Moldova can be covered with imports from Romania, Valeriu Lazar, at that time Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister of the Republic of Moldova, stated last year. The Ungheni-Iasi gas pipeline is a project with financial support from the European Union, within the Moldova-Romania Cross-Border Cooperation Program. According to the provisions, the project includes Romania’s Transgaz and Moldova’s Moldovagaz. Arad-Szeged and Giurgiu-Ruse gas pipelines are also in a project stage, their construction being repeatedly postponed, although they had to be completed last year. In November 2012 the European Commission started a new infringement procedure against Romania, the reason being interdictions imposed by the state authorities on gas exports. The European legislation forces the Member States to ensure gas transmission through the interconnection pipelines in both directions, import and export, the reason being the increased supply security. According to the European Regulation 994/2010, as of 2013 all the interconnection pipelines in Romania will have to ensure the “reverse flow”, which means allowing gas exports. [/cleeng_content]

Original source in Romanian:

http://economie.hotnews.ro/stiri-energie-14517451-republica-moldova-fost-exclusa-exporturile-romanesti-gaze.htm