Moldova exports gas to Ukraine for storage injections

BUCHAREST (ICIS)–The Republic of Moldova has started to export gas to Ukraine for the first time ever on 1 October after border capacity was auctioned on an open platform.

A total of 1.6 million cubic metres were exported to Ukraine via the Grebenyky interconnection point on the Moldovan-Ukrainian border on Thursday.

A company is thought to have booked monthly import capacity on the border via the regional RBP auctions platform. The gas will be injected into Ukrainian storage facilities.

A source close to the matter told ICIS that Moldova intends to inject 100mcm in October and November in Ukrainian storages and withdraw the volumes in January.

The exit capacity was offered by the Ukrainian transmission system operator GTSO.

GTSO now offers capacities on all borders which are covered by interconnection agreements, including the one with Russia.

This was the first time that volumes were exported from Moldova to Ukraine along the Trans-Balkan line.

Traditionally, gas had been exported from Russia to south-east Europe via Ukraine and Moldova.

However, with the expiry of a long-term transit contract between Ukraine and Russia and Russian gas volumes switching from the Trans-Balkan line to the newly-commissioned TurkStream corridor, flows can now happen bidirectionally, opening up trading opportunities between countries along the route.