Moldova
Moldova tests gas emergency procedures, strengthening crisis response mechanisms
Moldovan authorities and energy sector stakeholders — including system operators, suppliers, traders, and large consumers — came together on Tuesday, 9 June, to conduct a Gas Security of Supply table-top exercise, simulating high- and medium-impact scenarios and testing responses in real time in line with the national emergency plan.
This is the first exercise of its kind in Moldova, marking an important step in strengthening the Energy Community Contracting Party's emergency preparedness and crisis response capacity. Lessons learned will be shared with the broader Energy Community region through the Gas Security of Supply Coordination Group, and feed directly into Moldova's national gas risk assessment.
Moldova’s reliance on imported natural gas — the main fuel for electricity and heat in the Energy Community Contracting Party — makes its energy system particularly exposed to seasonal demand swings and supply shocks. This vulnerability was underscored starting with the 2021 energy crisis, when disruptions to Russian gas supplies revealed structural weaknesses in supply security. Since then, Moldova has advanced EU-aligned reforms to strengthen resilience, diversify supply sources, and reduce dependence on single suppliers.
A major milestone was reached on 1 April 2026, when Moldova opened its gas market to large non-household consumers, representing more than half of national demand. This reform is expected to enhance competition and improve access to more diversified and affordable gas supplies. In addition, Moldova has gone beyond EU requirements by securing gas storage volumes exceeding 20% of average annual consumption and, for the first time in 2025, extending storage arrangements to the Transnistrian region, thereby reducing systemic risks.
The table-top exercise builds on these reforms and is supported through the EU-funded Moldova Energy Independence Project (MEIR), under which the Energy Community Secretariat is assisting the Ministry of Energy in adapting the security of supply framework to evolving market realities and strengthening key aspects of gas crisis preparedness.
Moldova's Ministry of Energy is the designated competent authority responsible for ensuring that all relevant stakeholders implement the measures set out in the Contracting Party's gas emergency planning framework, and for overseeing the coordination and activation of these procedures when needed. It is also tasked with ensuring that emergency procedures are regularly tested through table-top exercises such as this one, at least once between the four-year updates of the emergency plan.
