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Viewing cable 07CHISINAU1520, MOLDOVAN ENERGY WOES

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07CHISINAU1520 2007-12-28 15:29 2011-08-30 01:44 CONFIDENTIAL Embassy Chisinau
VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHCH #1520/01 3621529
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 281529Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY CHISINAU
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6071
INFO RUEHBM/AMEMBASSY BUCHAREST 4244
RUEHKV/AMEMBASSY KYIV 0558
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 3255
C O N F I D E N T I A L CHISINAU 001520 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EUR/UMB 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/28/2017 
TAGS: ECON ENRG PGOV PREL MD
SUBJECT: MOLDOVAN ENERGY WOES 
 
REF: A. CHISINAU 1334 
     B. CHISINAU 1165 
     C. CHISINAU 994 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michael D. Kirby for reasons 1.4(b) and (d). 
 
1. (C) SUMMARY: The Moldovan energy sector continues to 
suffer from political manipulations, which in a society 
accustomed to government subsidies prevents charging full 
cost-recovery tariffs for increasingly more expensive natural 
gas, electricity, and heating.  According to recent media 
reports, Moldova will pay about USD 190 per thousand cubic 
meters (tcm) for natural gas in 2008.  As winter takes hold, 
temperatures in Chisinau's centralized heating system 
continue to drop as debts and political rhetoric continue to 
mount.  Compounding the situation, Ukraine briefly cut 
exports of electricity to Moldova, hinting at Ukraine's 
unwillingness to continue subsidizing low-cost electricity 
exports and reminding Moldova of its energy insecurity.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
GAS PRICES SET TO INCREASE IN 2008 
---------------------------------- 
 
2. (C) On December 20, MoldovaGaz announced that Gazprom 
would increase the price for natural gas supplied to Moldova 
from USD 170/tcm to USD 192/tcm for the first quarter of 
2008.  In July, Gazprom had initially indicated that the 
price for natural gas for 2008 would be USD 180/tcm.  On 
December 25, Prime Minister Tarlev confirmed the USD 192/tcm 
price, noting that it could increase according to the formula 
the GOM accepted when it signed a long-term contract for gas 
deliveries.  According to local media reports, Gazprom 
recently held negotiations with Transnistria (TN), discussing 
a debt-for-shares swap to cover the region's estimated USD 
1.5 billion debt and setting the price for natural gas for 
2008 at USD 192/tcm.  (NOTE: MoldovaGaz is owned by Gazprom 
(50%), the GOM (35.33%) TN (13.44%) and individual investors 
(1.22%).  END NOTE.)  The signing of separate contracts for 
right- and left-bank Moldova, dividing debts, and a 
debt-for-share swap have been in discussion for over a year 
(Ref A). 
 
HEATING IN CHISINAU: FROM WARM TO COOL 
-------------------------------------- 
 
3. (C) On December 26, Termocom was forced to lower the 
temperature in the centralized heating system in Chisinau 
from 74 degrees Celsius to 14-16 degrees.  The measure was 
taken to prevent the accumulation of further debts following 
the Chisinau municipal government's lowering of the heating 
tariff (Ref B).  On December 19, MoldovaGaz reduced the 
volume of gas deliveries to Termocom by 20 percent.  On 
December 20, MoldovaGaz President Ghenadie Abashkin told us 
he had cut supplies of natural gas not only to Termocom, but 
also to the three state-owned power plants (CET-1, CET-2 and 
CET-Nord) because of mounting debts.  He said MoldovaGaz had 
accumulated USD 30 million in debts this heating season with 
Gazprom because his customers had not paid their bills in 
full.  Abashkin said he had recently received a notice from 
Gazprom demanding payment and threatening to reduce the 
volume of natural gas supplied to Moldova. 
 
UKRAINE SENDS A SIGNAL 
---------------------- 
 
4. (C) On December 20, Ukraine briefly suspended the 
transmission of electricity to Moldova, which caused a 
blackout for more than 260,000 rural consumers in central and 
southern Moldova.  Carlos Gonzales, President of Union 
Fenosa, the owner of three power distribution companies, said 
the blackout lasted less than 10 minutes.  Moldova depends on 
Ukraine for electricity, producing less than 30% of its 
requirements domestically in aging and inefficient power 
plants.  Gonzalez said the Ukrainians claimed the 
interruption was a technical problem, but he thought it was 
clearly a shot across the bow intended to encourage the 
Moldovans to accept a higher price for Ukrainian electricity. 
 In July, Moldova signed an agreement with Ukraine on 
electricity imports, increasing the price from 2.7 cents per 
kilowatt hour (kwh) to 3.0 cents per kwh and gradually 
increasing the price 0.1 cent per kwh per month through June 
2009 (Ref C). 
 
ALTERNATIVE ENERGY: TRANSNISTRIAN ELECTRICITY? 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
5. (C) Faced with the prospect of sharp increases in the 
price of Ukrainian electricity, the GOM has quietly developed 
a relationship with the Russian-owned Cuciurgan power plant 
(Moldavskaya GRES) in Transnistria.  The plant has agreements 
with Moldelectrica, the right-bank transmission company 
responsible for Moldova's international electrical 
connections, to export electricity to Russia and Romania. 
Gonzalez speculated that the GOM might sign a new agreement 
with the Cuciurgan power plant to purchase electricity for 
right-bank Moldova.  (NOTE: Moldova stopped purchasing 
electricity from the plant in 2005 following a unilateral 
price increase by the Transnistrians.  END NOTE.)  Gonzalez 
noted that Union Fenosa had recently won an arbitration case 
in Paris against the Cuciurgan power plant for breach of 
contract stemming from the 2005 price increase. 
 
AFTER THE OSCE CHAIRMANSHIP - NO LOVE FOR THE SPANISH 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
6. (C) When asked about current relations with the GOM, 
Gonzalez said the relationship remains frosty and he believes 
the GOM would rather see Union Fenosa divest.  He said the 
company continued to call for full-cost recovery tariffs to 
finance infrastructure investments, but his demands fell on 
deaf ears at the Ministry of Industry and the Prime 
Minister's office.  He said the Spanish Foreign Ministry had 
coordinated a meeting between President Voronin and a 
high-level Union Fenosa executive from Madrid, but Voronin 
canceled it with no explanation.  Gonzalez said that 
according to Spanish government information provided to Union 
Fenosa, the GOM intends to sell key energy sector assets to 
the Russians.  He added that Moldova's energy sector and 
Union Fenosa had been on the agenda during Voronin's recent 
trip to Brussels, but he had seen no change in the GOM's 
attitude following the discussions. 
 
COMMENT 
------- 
 
7. (C)  Moldova's energy sector is in disarray.  The Termocom 
case is an example of what happens when artificially low 
tariffs are adopted.  Both Termocom and its suppliers, Union 
Fenosa and MoldovaGaz, are steadily accumulating debts, which 
will only get worse in January when the price for natural gas 
increases.  We also expect an increase in the price of 
Ukrainian electricity.  We've noted before our concern about 
the GOM's attitude towards Union Fenosa, a major foreign 
investor.  A Western company that operates for profit cannot 
work without charging prices that allow for full cost 
recovery.  Given the GOM's indifference toward the company 
and international pressure, it seems that the government has 
decided to force the company to divest, clearing the way for 
future Russian investments. 
KIRBY