Moldova moves towards European energy trading
"Energy Market Operator M" SRL (OPEM), a subsidiary of Romania's energy exchange OPCOM, has been designated by the National Agency for Energy Regulation (ANRE) as the operator of Moldova's energy market.
According to ANRE, the decision, approved on June 30, is a crucial step toward integrating Moldova into the regional electricity market, ensuring modern, transparent, and non-discriminatory energy trading conditions at a European level.
This international market coupling will enable more efficient use of energy resources, contribute to price stabilization, and foster competition, ultimately benefiting consumers, the agency states.
"OPEM has demonstrated it meets all legal requirements set by national and European legislation in this field. Based on the documentation presented and ANRE's evaluations, it was found that OPEM possesses the necessary technical infrastructure to operate trading platforms; adheres to principles of transparency, confidentiality, and non-discrimination; has adequate market supervision capabilities and cooperates with European authorities; has established robust systems for the compensation and settlement of transactions within the respective electricity markets; maintains effective communication and data transfer with the transmission system operator 'Moldelectrica'; and applies separate accounting for regulated activities, ensuring financial efficiency and transparency," ANRE emphasized.
It is worth mentioning that this action is stipulated in the Memorandum signed in December 2023 in Chișinău by the Energy Ministers of Moldova and Romania. The document outlines the establishment of a subsidiary of the Romanian energy exchange in Chișinău, which will manage and connect Moldova's domestic energy market to the European one.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
