The Ministry of Energy has a plan for exceptional situations on the electricity market, developed in accordance with the rules and with the support of the European Union and UNDP
August 28, 2024
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The preparedness plan for risks in the electricity market is based on a national but also a regional assessment of the risks related to the security of electricity supply. Based on the identified scenarios of possible crises, measures were provided for the prevention and management of crisis situations related to the supply of electricity.
Such plans are drawn up by all EU and Energy Community member states, they being reviewed at least once every 4 years, if, in the meantime, no new risks intervene. The document was developed with the support of the programme "Addressing the impacts of the energy crisis in the Republic of Moldova", financed by the European Union and implemented by UNDP Moldova.
Thus, the European Network of Electricity Transmission System Operators, ENTSO-E, has identified 31 regional electricity crisis scenarios, of which 26 are relevant for the Republic of Moldova. Instead, a specific national crisis scenario was identified for Moldova. It relates to the overloading of low-voltage electrical networks, especially in cities, due to the shortage or interruption of the supply of natural gas to final consumers during the winter period, through the use of electrical appliances for heating.
The risks provided for in the Plan are divided into several categories, related to lack of fuel, electricity market failure, malicious attack, extreme weather, technical failure, natural disasters, human factors or others.
The Regulation sets out the roles and responsibilities of electricity businesses, electricity market participants, system users and consumers in reducing electricity safety risks and preparing for electricity crisis prevention and management, ensuring transparency and taking into account the requirements of the competitive electricity market.
The powers of the Commission for exceptional situations and the crisis management procedures for the different scenarios are also described. The commission, notified by the electricity transmission system operator or the Ministry of Energy, verifies the risks and finds an exceptional situation within 12 hours at most. Subsequently, the Commission takes over the coordination of the actions in the sector, and its decisions are binding and prevail in relation to the own plans of the electric power companies, the contractual provisions and the normative acts in the field.
The preparation plan for exceptional situations on the electricity market is the operative working document of the National Commission, as well as of all actors in the energy sector.
The total electricity consumption in the Republic of Moldova in 2022 was approximately 4513 million kWh. The peak load of the electric power system exceeds 1000 MW in winter, while the electric load in summer varies between 330-700 MW for the right bank. The peak load recorded in 2022 on the right of the Dniester River was 750 MW in winter and 670 MW in summer.
1284.8 thousand final consumers are connected to the electrical distribution networks, of which 95.45% are household consumers. In 2022, they received approximately 44% of the total electricity supplied.
The Regulation on exceptional situations in the electricity sector transposes EU Regulation 2019/941 on risk preparedness in the electricity sector and is part of the Electricity Integration Package. The package of 9 normative acts provides for the coupling of the national markets of the Energy Community with the single European energy market until the end of 2025.