What volume of gas must we have in stock?
According to Moldovatransgaz, following calculations, the National Agency for Energy Regulation determined that the minimum volume of reserves is 22.8 million cubic meters and this is established by the Government, and the responsibility for storage is assigned to SA Energocom.
The volume of mandatory reserves would be twice as large already this year, according to a draft decision.
Just as the Republic of Moldova does not have its own underground natural gas deposits, which would allow the accumulation of reserves determined by legislation, it is necessary to contract underground deposits from abroad.
Based on the storage price, the regional location of the warehouses and their capacity, the most convenient underground warehouses for our country are located in Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine, Moldovatransgaz explains.
So, in addition to the purchase price, the final cost of gas for Moldova also includes storage, injection into the storage and withdrawal from it, transport to the border with Moldova.
“The final amount is decisive in determining the trader (seller/intermediary) and the place of gas storage,” states the company.
Who offers the lowest rates
According to Moldovatransgaz, the most profitable for Moldova is the storage and transportation of natural gas in Ukraine. Thus, the final price per country is as follows:
Ukraine – 503.62 – 531.9 lei for one thousand cubic meters per day;
Bulgaria – 1,268.89 – 1,782.11 lei for one thousand cubic meters per day;
Romania – 1,472.25 – 1,763.34 lei for one thousand cubic meters per day;
Slovakia – 1,647.37 lei for one thousand cubic meters per day;
Poland – 2,458.64 lei for one thousand cubic meters per day.
The company states that prices are approximate and may vary slightly due to exchange rate fluctuations.
On the other hand, the tariffs are very high and end up representing more than 10% of the final price of methane.
Even Moldovatransgaz mentioned that they “do not include value added tax, storage coefficients, gas injection and withdrawal, storage transport services, loading into and from the storage”.
Later, the Mold-Street.com reporter was able to speak with Iurie Dolghier, the director of Moldovatransgaz, who after a recheck stated that a mistake had crept into the text of the informative note and from the fragment “they do not include value added tax, storage coefficients, injection and withdrawal of gases, storage transport services, loading into and from storage”, the word “no” should be excluded
It should be noted that last year Ukraine increased the tariffs for gas storage in underground storages by 2.1 times to 0.4 hryvnias per thousand cubic meters per day (without VAT), which is approximately 0.2 lei per thousand of cubic meters per day (without VAT).
Also then the gas injection tariff was increased 2.2 times or by 133.36 hryvnias per thousand cubic meters per day (without VAT) to 243.52 hryvnias per thousand cubic meters per day (without VAT) .
Also, the regulatory authorities in Ukraine increased the tariff for gas withdrawal by 4 times, or by 189.62 hryvnias per thousand cubic meters per day (without VAT), up to 253.03 hryvnias per thousand cubic meters per day (without VAT).
Why do we need to have stocks?
The company also claims that the use of underground methane storage reserves allows:
– storage of gas surpluses purchased during the period of decrease in demand for it in the country, with the possibility of their withdrawal when demand increases;
– maintaining the mandatory reserves of natural gas, in accordance with the regulations;
– purchase of gas reserves in periods when the market price of gas decreases;
– ensuring the security of gas supply in unforeseen situations (for example, the autumn-winter period 2022-2023).
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p class=”mb-8 px-6 md:px-0 font-bitter text-s17-l170 md:text-s18-l170 text-c121212″>Moldovatransgaz also claims that it ensures the uninterrupted transportation of natural gas, including for the purpose of storing it in underground warehouses in Ukraine and Romania.
