Moldova limits electricity consumption

The Emergency Situations Commission of Moldova has initiated several measures to prevent power outages by reducing consumption, especially during peak hours. The corresponding decision was made on Friday, December 27, reports the Moldovan service of Radio Liberty.

Saving measures apply to consumption in the morning and evening hours.

The new standards, in particular, provide for the extinguishing of lights in shop windows, decorative lighting, escalators and other objects. Authorities also ordered energy-intensive businesses to adjust schedules, including moving production to the evening. Citizens are urged not to use elevators during peak hours, including to avoid the risk of getting stuck in the event of a power outage.

The main reason for the introduction of the state of emergency is the uncertainty about the continuation of Russian gas supplies to Moldova from 2025. Since the end of 2022, Gazprom has supplied 5.7 million cubic meters of gas to Moldova. The entire volume of gas is sent to Transnistria, where it is used for domestic needs and to generate electricity at the Moldavian State District Power Plant, which is used by both banks of the Dniester.

The country’s Ministry of Energy previously reported that almost half of the energy Moldova consumes during peak hours will be purchased from various sources in Romania. The second half is provided by the country’s thermal power plants, as well as alternative sources of electricity.

The consumption of the right bank of the Dniester in the winter months is about 850 MW, but on some days it can be higher. Authorities can supply around 800 MW, so they urge people to consume less electricity during peak hours to avoid blackouts.

Chisinau said that from January 1, a humanitarian crisis may appear on the left bank of the Dniester, caused by the lack of sufficient energy resources, and also because the population of the region cannot afford the market price for them.

At the same time, the right bank of the Dniester may face a power shortage due to the cessation of supplies from the Kuchurgan power plant, which produces cheap electricity by burning Russian gas.

We remind you that the state of emergency in Moldova has been declared from December 16 for 60 days. It aims to give the government an opportunity to respond quickly and limit energy exports.

Earlier, the Prime Minister of the country called on the citizens to be prepared for the increase in gas charges.