Romania: Planning on Energy Sufficiency by 2018/19

Romania: Planning on Energy Sufficiency by 2018/19 / Picture: © Vindobona.org

The gas pipline connecting Romania and Moldova will be coming in operation even this year, Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta announced earlier this week during the inauguration of the construction works. For the establishing of the pipeline a total investment of € 28 is needed whereas € 7m are granted by the European Union. Romania has participated in the project with a total of € 9m in the hope that the country could by this reduce its dependency on gas imports from Russia.

“Until 2018 Romania will have natural gas production both for our consumption and for Moldova. When we are talking about electricity, natural gas, when we make our strategy we do it together with Moldova,” said Prime Minister Ponta.

The new pipeline has a maximum transportation capacity of 1bn cubic meters, which covers around one third of the gas consumption in the Republic of Moldova.

Ponta argues Romania will hit energy sufficiency by 2018 to 2019, in case offshore and shale gas explorations reveal enough resources, allowing it to export the additional output to the Republic of Moldova.Gunther Oettinger, EU Commissioner for Energy, stated the pipeline will boost the “energy security” of the Republic of Moldova by tapping the EU and international gas markets