Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau interconnection project Phase II has started
The official inauguration of starting the works on the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau interconnection project Phase II, an objective declared of national interest in the Republic of Moldova, took place in Chisinau on 18 February. This is also a strategic project for Romania, for SNTGN Transgaz SA, representing the concrete proof of commitment through which our country supports the Republic of Moldova in achieving the objective of consolidation of energy security and integration into the energy market of the European Union.
The event enjoyed the presence of Ana Birchall, Deputy Prime Minister of the Romanian Government, and that of Pavel Filip, Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Moldova. Also attending the event were Chiril Gaburici, Minister of Economy and Infrastructure in the Republic of Moldova, Ion Sterian, General Director of Transgaz, the administrators of EUROTRANSGAZ SRL and Vestmoldtransgaz SRL, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the constructor ACI CLUJ, representatives of the executive management of Transgaz and other officials from the Republic of Moldova.
“Transgaz takes very seriously its role and commitments as regional player in the energy sector. We have the responsibility of commitments that Romania and our company have assumed. Building this gas pipeline contributes to the modernization and development of the existing energy infrastructure, increasing the efficiency of the energy sector of the Republic of Moldova and ensuring a mechanism of sustainable development of the national economy and connection with the European energy market. The project represents a geopolitical gain, aiming to reduce the energy dependence of the Republic of Moldova through the alternative route it proposes, as well as a contribution to the general strengthening of the country’s pro-European path. To secure financing for the project, we signed in January, in Luxembourg, with the European Investment Bank, the financing agreement worth EUR 38 million for Ungheni-Chisinau interconnection,” the General Director of Transgaz highlighted.
A month ago, on 14 January, in the presence of Ion Sterian and the Administrators of Eurotransgaz from the Republic of Moldova, the Administrator of Vestmoldtransgaz signed the work procurement contract with the bidder declared winner, the association consisting of ACI CLUJ (Romania), IMSAT SERVICE (Romania) and ABCONY SERV (Romania). The event marked the start of works for the investment objective regarding the construction of Ungheni-Chisinau gas pipeline and the implementation of measures for the operation and maintenance of the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinau gas transmission pipeline.
A major objective for the Moldovan energy sector
The Ungheni-Chisinau project involves the construction of a new gas transmission pipeline with a length of 120km, three gas delivery stations (two in Chisinau and one in Ungheni, Semeni locality) and equipping the steering and dispatching centre in Ghidighici. The gas transmission network on Ungheni-Chisinau route represents the second stage of the Iasi-Ungheni-Chisinău interconnection project.
The first part of the pipeline, corresponding to Iasi-Ungheni interconnector, was commissioned in 2014 and about 1.5 billion cubic meters of gas can be transported through it annually. The extension of the interconnector from Ungheni to Chisinau is a major objective for the Moldovan energy sector, as its connection to the gas market in Romania and the European one represents the first step in reducing the energy dependence, by diversifying the sources and routes of energy supply and implicitly strengthening the country’s energy security.
Diversification of supply sources is one of the commitments undertaken by the Republic of Moldova with its accession to the Energy Community (in October 2010), assuming the effective transposition of European legislation in the field of energy, especially natural gas, for integration into the European energy market. Efforts to diversify gas supply sources have increased once the Republic of Moldova pledged to transpose the Third Energy Package, which provides for non-discriminatory third-party access to gas transmission networks.
The project ‘Developments of the National Gas Transmission System in the North-East of Romania’, concluded in November 2018 in partnership with the Ministry of European Funds, worth EUR 152 million (of which EUR 46 million representing European funds within the Large Infrastructure Operational Programme), involves developments of the NTS in order to improve gas supply to this region, as well as increasing the transmission capacity in the perspective offered by the new interconnection pipeline between Romania and the Republic of Moldova.
About Transgaz and Vestmoldtransgaz
SNTGN Transgaz SA Medias is the technical operator of the National Transmission System (NTS) for natural gas and ensures the fulfilment in terms of efficiency, transparency, safety, non-discriminatory access and competitiveness of the national strategy for domestic and international natural gas transmission and gas dispatching, as well as research and design in the specific field of its activity, in compliance with the requirements of European and national legislation, quality, performance, environment and sustainable development standards.
Vestmoldtransgaz is the technical operator of the National Gas Transmission System of the Republic of Moldova and ensures the fulfilment in conditions of efficiency, transparency, safety, non-discriminatory access and competitiveness of the strategy on gas transmission and dispatching, in compliance with the requirements of the European legislation and those in the Republic of Moldova, with quality, performance, environmental and sustainable development standards.
