April 3 (SeeNews) - Moldovan state-owned gas supplier Energocom said it has imported test volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) sourced from the United States via Greek gas supplier DEPA Commercial in a bid to wean off Russian gas.
The LNG was delivered via the Greek Alexandroupolis port, Energocom said in a press release on Monday.
"In total, there are about 28,000 MWh, which is the equivalent of 2.6 million cu m of gas. These are the gases needed for current consumption and the price is competitive. If we agree to a formula for the continuation of this collaboration, we will notify citizens in the near future," said Victor Binzari, Energocom's interim CEO.
Moldovan consumers will use US-origin gas for two days, Energocom said.
Energocom began its collaboration with DEPA Commercial in April 2023. Last year, the Greek company won several public tenders for gas delivery to Moldova, both for current consumption and for storage in depots.
Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moldova was one of Europe’s most dependent countries on Russian energy. However, Moldova stopped buying gas from Gazprom in December 2022 and developed alternative supply routes.
Energy Minister Victor Parlicov said last year that Moldova had been able to buy gas from European suppliers at a better price than Gazprom offered.