In case MGRES will stop electricity deliveries in order to guarantee uninterrupted power supply on the right bank of the Dniester, it is necessary to cover the consumption load, which in winter reaches up to 850 MW at peak hours, informs the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Moldova. Thus, on the right bank of the Dniester, all domestic production sources will be mobilized, thermoelectric power plants of Termoelectrica and CET Nord, which will cover the consumption base of about 200 MW, IPN reports.
According to the ministry, there are still reserves at the CETs to increase production capacity. Another 100 MW have been contracted by Energocom from Romania's Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant at a capped price. Another 100 MW are to be contracted from OMV Petrom's Brazi Thermal Power Plant.
The Costesti-Stanca hydroelectric power plant can cover up to 10 MW in band. Renewable energy sources in winter can deliver variable amounts of energy from 50 MW, sometimes up to 150 MW at certain hours, depending on weather conditions. The installed capacity of all renewable energy sources in the national power system is steadily increasing, the source notes.
At the same time, capacities of up to 200 MW would be purchased on the Romanian power exchange OPCOM to cover peak consumption.
The guaranteed import capacity from ENTSO-E for Moldova is 315 MW. Thanks to the support of the European Union, ENTSO-E and electricity transmission operators from other partner countries, the mechanism to increase the NTC capacity has been identified. Thus, the Republic of Moldova will be able to use the unreserved capacity at other borders between ENTSO-E and the joint regulator Moldova-Ukraine.
To avoid potential power outages and to reduce the strain on the electrical grid and prices, citizens are urged to reduce their electricity consumption, especially during peak hours.
Regarding the electricity consumption on the left bank of the Dniester, it varies between 120 MW and 180 MW, the ministry reports. The left bank has announced that it will cover its own consumption through the operation of a power block at MGRES using coal, with a capacity of approximately 140 MW for a period of 50 days, as long as coal stocks last, and through the operation of the Dubasari Hydroelectric Power Plant at a variable capacity.
