Romania, Moldova to sign memorandum to integrate energy markets

The Ministries of Energy in Romania and Moldova will sign on December 11 a memorandum regarding the integration of their natural gas and electricity markets in the medium and long term.

The Moldovan government cleared the memorandum on December 6.

"The advancement of the investment projects included in the Memorandum will both increase the security of energy supply in the Republic of Moldova and Romania, as well as contribute to the diversification of sources and supply routes at the regional level," stated the secretary of state Cristina Pereteatcu, quoted by Profit.ro.

Thus, their electricity networks will be linked by two new interconnections, and the existing one will be strengthened.

Romania's market operator OPCOM will be designated as a market operator in Moldova as well. Moldova's transport system operator Moldelectrica will be integrated into the balancing market operated by a subsidiary of the Romanian peer company Transelectrica.

This is highly important for the development of intermittent green power generation units in Moldova on a scale that can not be now accommodated by the country's weak balancing capacity.

Regarding the natural gas market, the pipeline Ungheni-Chisinau will be enlarged, and a circular pipeline will be built around the Moldovan capital city, Chisinau. New natural gas deposits will be developed on the territory of Romania to be used by Moldova, or existing deposits will be expanded. 

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