Romania’s gas reservoirs are full

Romania might not need to import gas this winter, decision makers in Bucharest have announced

Bogdan Matei, 17.10.2023, 13:54

The gas level at Romania’s storage
facilities presently stands at 100.6%, which means that our gas reservoirs are
full to the brim, Minister of Energy, Sebastian Burduja, has recently announced
in Bucharest

With the quantities to be produced in
the following months and because this winter is going to be warmer like in
recent years, Romanians could make it to spring without needing to import more
gas. In fact, Romania managed to fill its gas reservoirs although its gas
imports were 16% lower in the first eight months of the year as compared to the
similar period in 2022.

According to Burduja, several
scenarios are being considered for the cold season, including one in which
Romania can support the neighboring, ex-soviet Republic of Moldova, or Ukraine,
invaded by the Russian troops. According to the political analysts in Chișinău,
in spite of an energy blackmail from Russia, the pro-Western government in the
Republic of Moldova has already managed, with help from Romania, to avoid a
deep social and economic crisis. Bucharest supplied Chisinau with electricity,
while the latter managed to buy enough gas on the international market, which
it transported through the Iași-Ungheni-Chișinău pipeline, built with Romanian
and EU logistical and financial support. In a worst-case scenario in which this
winter were a harsh one and the Republic of Moldova needed support, Minister
Burduja has mentioned the alternative of importing gas from Azerbaijan or
buying liquefied gas.

On the other hand the effects of the
Middle East conflict are already visible on gas and oil markets around the
world and the Ministry of Energy intends to manage this situation through a
series of mechanisms available, which also include the emergency reserves.

As for the prices, Minister Burduja
says these depend on many variables at the international level. According to
specialized media sources, gas prices in Europe on Monday went down by 6.5%
after last week’s 40 % growth against the favorable weather forecasts and the
international efforts to keep the Middle East situation under control. For the
Romanian consumers, the Minister says, the idea of maintaining the cap scheme
is a wise decision against the present international background, including
after the war that broke out between Israel and the terrorist Palestinian
organization Hamas.

(bill)