Romania to renounce Russian natural gas due to non-consumption

Due to the decrease of natural gas consumption, Romania is about to attain its independence from the natural gas imported from the Russian Federation

2015-10-18 18:47:25 - From the Print Edition

"Since April we have not imported anything, and now, at this moment, the imports are zero," said Niculae Havrilet, president of the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) in early September, as quoted by Ziarul Financiar. "If next year the domestic production can cover the entire consumption, then we will not import anymore," he added.
In 2008, before the economic crisis, Romania used to buy from the Russians, through intermediaries, about a quarter of its gas. Last year it reached the need for only 7.5 per cent imported gas. According to Havrilet, this year Romania could further halve that proportion, given that the consumption of two billion cubic meters of gas disappeared due to the closure of six chemical plants in the InterAgro group. Moreover, Havrilet estimates that this year the national gas consumption would be around 11 billion cubic meters or less. "We estimate this year the imports will be about three per cent, but we import gas for balancing. For example, if we have a frosty period, gas deposits cannot be removed under normal pressure."
In the absence of the imports, the need for gas will be filled mainly by Romgaz, the Romanian state-controlled company, through the Ministry of Energy and OMV Petrom, part of OMV group.
According to Transgaz Medias, the national gas carrier, last year in Romania gas consumption was of 12 billion cubic meters, of which 11.1 billion came from Romgaz and OMV Petrom probes. In addition, last year Romania stored 2.7 billion cubic meters of natural gas.