BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 7. Moldova seeks to consolidate its energy independence by expanding its connections to alternative supply routes, including through partnerships facilitated by the Southern Gas Corridor, Dorin Junghietu, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Moldova, said in an exclusive interview with Trend on the sidelines of the 11th Southern Gas Corridor Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting and the 3rd Green Energy Advisory Council Ministerial Meeting in Baku.
“In recent years, the Republic of Moldova has experienced a series of energy crises, starting in 2021, largely caused by Russia's actions, which have tested our resilience and energy infrastructure. However, we have managed to turn these challenges into opportunities, strengthening our energy security and diversifying our sources of supply,” he said.
Junghietu recalled that Moldova was the first country to commercially use the Greece-Bulgaria interconnector, and it was among the first to benefit from the first LNG shipment arriving at the Alexandroupolis terminal in Greece.
“We demonstrated the commercial viability of the vertical corridor by transporting gas to underground storage facilities in Ukraine. But of course, Moldova’s progress has been supported by the strong solidarity and cooperation of our friends in the European Union, Ukraine, and other development partners and without their support, our journey would have been much more difficult. I have to stress that today, Moldova is no longer an energy-vulnerable or blackmail-prone state, and the existence of alternative routes and sourses of supply were at the core of this changes,” noted the minister.
He pointed out that Moldova is further interested in advancing energy independence by diversifying routes and sources of supply.
“To this end, we strongly support the expansion of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) and its role in enhancing European energy security. Moldova seeks to consolidate its energy independence by expanding its connections to alternative supply routes, including through partnerships facilitated by SGC. Moreover, through our membership in the Central and South Eastern Europe Energy Connectivity (CESEC) initiative, Moldova is now an active player in the regional energy security architecture and a key transit country in the Southern Gas Corridor and Trans-Balkan corridor,” said Junghietu.
He noted that Moldova is certainly interested in importing gas from Azerbaijan in order to diversify sources of supply, but concrete details are to be discussed at technical levels.
“Natural gas will continue to play a crucial role in Moldova’s energy mix. It is necessary for local generation and balancing capacity for renewables. This is why we are particularly focused on the vertical corridor as a key project for Moldova’s energy future. The continued diversification of supply sources, including eventual imports from Azerbaijan, will be critical in securing our energy needs. We believe that the approval of a unified tariff for the entire corridor will ensure its commercial attractiveness and make the proposed models by Moldova, using the Ukraininan underground storage facilities for Eastern Eauropean countries needs, a reality. A single, transparent tariff structure will make the corridor even more appealing for businesses and investors, ensuring its long-term sustainability. Moldova appreciates Azerbaijan’s role as a reliable energy partner and looks forward to strengthening bilateral energy cooperation, as the relations between our countries are excellent,” the minister explained.
As for the prospects for cooperation in the green energy sphere with Azerbaijan, Junghietu noted that his country is interested in participation in the Black Sea submarine electricity transmission cable project.
“But also, we would welcome the participation of Azerbaijani investors in the second RES auctions to be announced this year,” Junghietu concluded.
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