CHISINAU, December 5. /TASS/. Reduced consumption of natural gas by customers has allowed Moldova to replenish its reserves and it how has enough gas to last the country for two months if supplies come to a halt, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilitsa said on Sunday.
"About 30 million cubic meters that our people have saved were stored in Ukraine. All moves we are making in the area of energy allow us to have access to these resources every day even if Gazprom cut off the volumes we need. We are getting less than 50% of the required amount, which is less than half of what we received last year. We already have reserves of 230 million, which allows us to survive two months of winter, even if the entire volume is cut off tomorrow," she said on Radio Moldova.
Earlier, the Moldovan government approved a plan to prevent a crisis in the energy sector in the event that gas supplies from Russia come to a stop. It stipulates three possible scenarios: a reduction of supplies by 35%, by 50%, and a complete stoppage. The government is increasing purchases of fuel oil, firewood, and also putting aside funds for purchasing gas from European traders.
From October 1, Gazprom reduced the daily volume of gas supply to Moldova by 30% to 5.7 million cubic meters, while the country needs 8.06 million cubic meters. The Russian company attributed that to technical problems associated with the restriction of transit through Ukraine. In November, gas supplies from Russia remained at the same level, and the shortage in Moldova rose to 50%.