Moldova rules out resuming electricity purchases from Transnistria’s Moldgres

Moldovan Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu has ruled out the possibility of resuming electricity purchases from the Moldavian Thermal Power Plant (Moldgres) located in Transnistria, citing economic infeasibility.

The minister told TVR Moldova that the current gas volumes at the power plant are sufficient only for its own consumption, and that using the plant for electricity generation would be costly due to fuel, production, and transport expenses, making the electricity significantly more expensive than on the Romanian market, Caliber.Az reports.

Experts previously noted potential legal loopholes allowing any fuel-debt-free producer to participate in auctions, which could enable the Transnistrian plant to offer lower prices than Romanian suppliers.

However, a source familiar with Moldova’s energy market noted that Transnistria would need sufficient gas and a genuinely low auction price—conditions unlikely under the current circumstances.

In 2025, gas consumption restrictions were repeatedly imposed in Transnistria. Since the end of the “gas crisis,” Russian gas deliveries to the region have been conducted through opaque intermediary schemes involving third countries.

By Jeyhun Aghazada