Romania, Ukraine gas TSOs to hold consultation for critical gas border capacity

LONDON (ICIS)–The Romanian and Ukrainian gas transmission system operators will be holding a consultation for incremental capacity at the critical Tekovo-Mediesu Aurit border point.

According to the draft project published this week, an estimated 7mcm/day of technical firm export capacity could be made available at the border point from Romania to Ukraine from the third quarter of 2026 through 2041. The total annual import capacity into Ukraine would be 2.5bcm.

The Romanian grid operator Transgaz said it would have to invest €300m to build new infrastructure, including a compressor station of 15MW. The upgrades would enable the reversal of gas flows, allowing exports between northern Romania and southern Ukraine and eventually make flows bi-directional.

The Ukrainian counterpart GTSOU will invest €35m to build a compressor station of 10MW.

The consultation period started on 18 January and will conclude on 17 March. Companies can express an interest in writing to the two transmission system operators.

The results will be sent to the Romanian regulator ANRE in October 2022 and subsequently be assessed by both Romanian and Ukrainian authorities in 2023.

Yearly capacity auctions will be held in July 2023.

The border point had been historically used for imports from Ukraine into Romania particularly during peak winter demand.

However, the point has not been used since January 2020 when Ukraine signed a new transit agreement for Russian gas until 2024.

Bi-directional flows would be needed on both sides of the border, helping to boost regional integration and allowing Ukrainian traders to access volumes in southeast Europe and Romanian traders to tap gas on central European hubs imported via Ukraine.