A Cypriot intermediary company ordered gas from the Turkish Stream pipeline from February 1, according to a Russian newspaper. The reserved capacities coincide with the needs of the unrecognized republic.
Russia is likely to supply gas to Transnistria via Turkey, according to Russian newspaper Kommersant.
On January 20, Cypriot company Ozbor Enterprises assessed the capacity of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline at 3.1 million cubic meters per day, matching the estimated needs of the unrecognized republic. This is the part of the gas pipeline going up to the point “Strandzha-2″, on the border between Turkey and Bulgaria, according to data from the RBP commercial platform.
From Turkey, gas can be transported north through the Trans-Balkan pipeline – via Bulgaria and Romania – to Moldova. At the same time, the different sections of this gas pipeline have not yet been reserved.
Deliveries could begin as early as February 1, according to the newspaper’s interlocutors. According to them, the parties are currently studying the possibility of supplying gas until April.
$160 million in aid
The total amount of financial assistance from Moscow to Tiraspol could amount to $160 million.
Russian gas stopped being supplied to Transnistria on January 1, after Ukraine’s Naftohaz refused to extend the gas transit contract with Russia’s Gazprom. As a result, the unrecognized republic experienced power outages, central heating and hot water were cut off, and industrial enterprises stopped operating.
Over the past two years, Gazprom has supplied gas to Moldova via Ukraine, which, in turn, transported around 5.7 million cubic meters of fuel per day to the breakaway region. These volumes were sufficient for its own consumption and to produce electricity for Moldova. Since January 1, Chisinau has been buying electricity from Romania.
The Russian company Gazprom also claims that Moldavgaz owes it around $709 million, a debt that Moldova does not recognize.
On January 15, after discussions in Moscow, the head of Transnistria, Vadim Krasnikov, said that Russia was ready to supply gas to the unrecognized republic, as of “humanitarian aid“, but did not give details on possible deliveries.
Another option was for Russia to purchase gas on the European spot market through Natural Gaz DS. However, Moldova rejected this option, saying such deliveries would violate EU sanctions against Russia and that only Moldovgaz has the right to supply fuel to Transnistria.