October 26 (SeeNews) - Moldova's government said it bought 1 million cubic metres of natural gas from Poland's PGNiG Group on October 25 in a trial purchase amid difficulties in striking a new deal with Russia’s Gazprom, its traditional supplier.
This is the first ever gas supply to Moldova from a non-Russian source, the government said in a press release on Monday evening.
The contract was concluded between Moldovan natural gas supply company Energocom and the Polish company following a tender in which seven offers were received.
"The trial purchase will test Moldova's ability to import gas from alternative sources and to balance the low pressure in the natural gas supply system," the government said.
Moldova is continuing negotiations with Russian and Gazprom for the signing of a new long-term gas supply agreement, it added.
In a press release issued on Monday evening, PGNiG said that the contract is the result of a tender organized on an urgent basis due to reduction in gas supplies to Moldova by Gazprom.
"The PGNiG Group is deeply committed to the principle of energy solidarity, which we perceive as a prerequisite for the proper functioning of the gas market in the European Union and the neighbouring countries. Guided by this principle, we decided to participate in the tender whose aim was to urgently supply gas to Moldova which experienced problems with deliveries from Russia," PGNiG president of the management board Pawel Majewski said.
The gas will be delivered through an entry point on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border. To this end, PGNiG Supply & Trading (PST), part of the Polish group, will cooperate with American-Ukrainian ERU Group, which is its leading partner in Ukraine.
"We believe that the current difficulties will encourage Moldova to diversify its sources of gas supply and further integrate with the EU and implement the EU gas regulations," ERU Group managing partner Yaroslav Mudryy said.
On Friday, Moldova's parliament introduced a 30-day state of emergency starting October 22 due to a shortage of natural gas supplies and because it has not signed a new contract with Gazprom. During the state of emergency, the government is allowed to buy gas under a simplified procedure, using additional funds.
Moldova's contract with Gazprom expired at the end of September and the government in Chisinau asked for an extension, but did not accept Gazprom's price offer of $790 (684 euro) per 1,000 cubic meters of gas, according to local media reports.
Moldova has no gas deposits of its own and covers all of its gas needs by importing the fuel from Russia.
($=0.8592 euro)