The Gas Transmission System Operator of Ukraine, TSOUA, announced on Monday that gas supplies from Europe is currently imported through Moldova and will be deposited at underground gas storage facilities, Balkan Insight reported.
The imports were made feasible after the Chisinau Cabinet of Ministers altered the law to let businesses utilize “backhaul” or “virtual reverse flow” techniques at interconnector sites with Ukraine, which allowed the flow of gas to be diverted.
According to the new regulations, natural gas from the Trans-Balkan and Iasi-Chisinau gas pipelines may be transported through Moldova at a rate of up to 17 million cubic meters per day.
The Trans-Balkan natural gas transit route may now be used by Ukraine to import gas from the south.
Following the announcement by Moldovan gas operator Moldovatransgaz that it had successfully tested gas supplies to Ukraine from the EU in the backhaul regime on January 27, Ukraine was able to obtain gas from the networks of Southeast Europe.
Since Moldova lacks deposit facilities, its gas reserves total more than a quarter of a billion cubic meters and are kept in Romania and Ukraine. According to the Chisinau government, Moldova has adequate reserves to last through this winter.
Even though Chisinau did not buy the energy kept in Ukraine from Gazprom but rather from the open market, Russia has accused Moldova of unlawfully storing gas in Ukraine.
In violation of the conditions of the present contract it has with the nation, Gazprom started to cut back on the amounts of gas supplies provided to EU candidate state Moldova in October.
