OREANDA-NEWS. October 30, 2009. The Transnistria-based Cuciurgan Power Plant ceased power exports to Romania in early October because of lower demand on the Romanian market and not because of technical problems. At the same time, the plant will continue to supply power to Moldova, Deputy Premier, Economics Minister Valeriu Lazar has told journalists.

He noted that presently, Romania has better offers from other energy producers compared with the price asked by Russia's Inter RAO EES which owns the Cuciurgan Power Plant. Lazar said that early next year, when power demand will be on the ups, electricity exports to Romania are likely to be resumed.

Lazar also said that Moldova will receive power from the Cuciurgan plant until March 2010 at least on the basis of the existing contract. Currently, there are offers from other power operators, but we are in contractual relations with Inter RAO-EES and we expect no radical changes in this respect, Lazar added.

The director-general of the National Agency for Regulation of Energy, Vadim Ceban, specified that the Cuciurgan plant monthly exported 14-15 million kilowatts to Romania. The energy supply price was not unveiled on reason that it is trade secret.

The Cuciurgan Power Plant monthly provides Moldova with 250 million kilowatts, covering about 70 percent of the energy needs.

In early October representatives of the Russian company Inter RAO-EES announced that exports to Romania were halted because of the economic crisis which led to lower power consumption and demand on the Romanian market. At the end of 2008 the Moldovan authorities stopped importing electricity from Ukraine and signed an agreement with the Cuciurgan Power Plant.