Moldova has enough gas, energy, and firewood for the 2026-2027 cold season
The authorities assure that the Republic of Moldova is well-prepared for the upcoming heating season, which is expected to begin in about a month and a half to two months. They have diversified the gas supply, and approximately 30% of the electricity is now produced from renewable sources. Additionally, the Vulcănești-Chișinău line is anticipated to be operational soon, and the Moldsilva Agency has substantial reserves of firewood.
"Preparations for winter last all year and, in fact, we are not coming up with anything new, but rather we are reiterating a series of measures applied annually. By Government decision, we are establishing a commission that will verify the degree of preparedness until the middle of winter and, additionally, we are updating some of these actions", declared the State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Vitalie Mîța, on the "Zi de Zi" show on Radio Moldova, anticipating a decision to be made by the Cabinet of Ministers at the meeting on September 9.
According to Mîța, the plan includes clear measures regarding the security of the supply of electricity, natural gas and heating agent for consumers connected to centralized systems.
"The main instrument is this plan, which brings together measures to secure the supply of energy resources, especially electricity, natural gas and heat for consumers in centralized systems, along with all related actions. A significant part of the measures has already been implemented, with the results to be reported starting October 15", the Secretary of State stated.
Vulcănești-Chișinău line, at the heart of winter preparations
One of the major priorities included in the plan is the commercial operationalization of the Vulcănești-Chișinău overhead power line. According to the Ministry of Energy, the project is in its final phase, and the authorities remain committed to putting the line into operation by the end of October.
"The first measure in this plan is the commercial operationalization of the Vulcănești-Chișinău power line, which is in an advanced stage of completion. The deficiencies in a piece that had to be returned to the factory for remediation have been resolved. We are making maximum efforts together with the contractors to complete all the works by the end of October, so that we can enter the winter with a greater degree of security of the electricity supply", explained Vitalie Mîța.
According to him, approximately half of the electricity currently consumed is imported from Romania, Ukraine and other states, while the share of production from renewable sources has reached about 30%.
"We have escaped dependence on a single cheap source of electricity, and our current objective is to guarantee the security of the country's energy supply exclusively through diversification", pointed out the Secretary of State.
Gas market, diversified
In the natural gas sector, authorities state that the Republic of Moldova has significantly decreased its reliance on a single supplier. While there was only one purchasing contract in 2021, currently, up to 40% of the natural gas volume is acquired on the free market.
"Similarly to the energy sector, we have made considerable progress towards liberalizing the natural gas market", said Mîța.
He said that large consumers in the Republic of Moldova can contract for gas from regional suppliers, thereby increasing the system's flexibility. At the same time, the Transnistrian region's natural gas supply remains a risk factor. By September 15, the entity responsible for gas delivery on the left bank is to be designated or reconfirmed.
"Given that the current mechanism does not provide long-term guarantees, we are forced to periodically reassess both the designated entity and the level of risks. We will adopt the best solution, taking into account alternative options for any potential supply deficiencies. In this regard, the Government has approved a regulation on actions in crisis situations, which is constantly updated and monitored", explained Vitalie Mîța.
"Moldsilva": 75,000 cubic meters of wood available for the cold season
For households that use wood for heating, the authorities assure that there are sufficient reserves for the onset of the cold season. On September 1, the territorial forestry entities had approximately 75,000 cubic meters of firewood.
The deputy director of the "Moldsilva" Agency, Iulian Mamai, stated, during the same show on the public radio station, that of the available volume, approximately 47,000 cubic meters are hard species, 25,000 cubic meters are soft species, and 2,300 cubic meters are resinous species.
"It is important to note that stocks exist in all territorial forestry entities, which allows the population to procure wood from different areas of the country," Mamai declared.
The current stock does not represent the entire quantity intended for the cold season. For the second half of the year, another 160,000 cubic meters of timber are planned to be harvested, the deputy head of "Moldsilva" added. Currently, there is no shortage of timber, and prices vary by wood type: between 750 and 1,250 lei for hard species and between 370 and 750 lei for soft species.
"Moldsilva" does not anticipate price increases for timber from the forest fund managed by subordinate institutions. At the same time, the authorities note that the displayed tariffs cover only the cost of timber, not transportation.
*"The procedure is simple - the citizen can directly contact any forestry district or the accounting department of the forestry entities, which are practically distributed throughout the country, regardless of the citizen's place of residence. Currently, marketing is done on a first-come, first-served basis. The person pays the requested volume, receives the tax invoice after which he can pick up the firewood. It is important to distinguish between the price of wood and the cost of transportation. The prices announced by the Moldsilva Agency are wood prices. The cost of transportation from the forest to the citizen's household is applied by the carriers", explained Iulian Mamai.
"Moldsilva" recommends that citizens buy wood directly from forestry districts, avoiding intermediaries and dubious offers on social networks to prevent overpricing and the risk of wood sourced from illegal logging.
"Wood intended for the population comes exclusively from planned forestry works - sanitation, regeneration and maintenance cuttings carried out annually in accordance with the approved forestry arrangements", he pointed out.
We remind you that the Government has developed a comprehensive package of measures to prepare for the 2026-2027 heating season, which is to be approved at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on September 9.
The document stipulates that operators in the gas, electricity and thermal energy sectors must establish security stocks, verify the integrity of the infrastructure and ensure alternative fuel reserves. For some of these actions, deadlines were set until mid-October, and for others - until mid-November.
The plan is structured in five chapters - electricity, natural gas, petroleum products, energy security and energy efficiency - and establishes concrete deadlines and institutions responsible for each measure. The objectives include liberalizing the electricity market, strengthening energy security, and ensuring the continuity of natural gas supplies to the Transnistrian region.
