MOLDOVA'S POWER SECTOR: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

 

DECEMBER 29, 1999

 

MOLDOVA'S POWER SECTOR: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

 

AUTHOR: VEACESLAV DODONU, BISNIS REPRESENTATIVE IN MOLDOVA

 

Moldova is a small state about the size of Maryland, wedged between Romania and Ukraine.  Its population from both banks of Dniester River is 4.4 million people, of which almost 1 million reside in Moldova's capital, Chisinau, and its vicinity.  Moldova's 1998 nominal Gross Domestic Product amounted in nominal terms to Lei 8.8 billion1.89billion U.S. dollars, which, in real terms, is only a fraction of the 1990 level.

 

Although economy-wide reforms started in the early nineties, with privatization of state-owned assets officially commencing in 1994, it was not until 1997 that the Moldovan Government, prodded by the World Bank and other international donors, turned its attention toward the power sector.  At that time, power generation, transmission and distribution functions resided in a company called Moldenergo, the state monopoly.  Price-setting was more dependent on political considerations with little regard to economic principles.  Cross-subsidies persisted and power tariffs were insufficient to cover true costs.  Enterprises and the public at large regarded electricity as a social entitlement rather than tradable merchandise.  And debts to gas and other suppliers kept building up.  What is most striking is that this state of affairs sent improper signals to the rest of the economy, causing inefficiencies in energy use and bad financial discipline.  As a result, energy costs accounted for as much as 30 percent or more of the final cost of many products, according to some estimates.  This made Moldovan products less competitive in the world market.

 

With the unbundling of the state monopoly Moldenergo into 16 functional and autonomous businesses and their corporatization in 1997, a new stage was set for introducing free market-based principles.  Companies became legally registered as joint-stock companies, but were still in state hands.  Also in 1997, the National Energy Regulatory Agency (NERA) was set up with the aim to separate politics from sound economic decisions and to return the sector to reasonable profitability.  NERA currently regulates power distribution, generation, and transmission and dispatch companies.  These and other developments that followed have formed Moldova's power sector of today.

 

The Industry and the Players

Moldova's 1998 power consumption was 3.76 billion kWh after transmission, but before commercial losses were accounted for, with a peak load of 1151 MW in January 1998 and a minimum load of 182 MW in August 1998.  For the ten months of 1999 kWh used were 2.74 billion, implying that on a year-on-year basis the 1999 consumption figures will be lower than in 1998.  Compare this with the 1990 when GDP (Transnistria included) was at its highest level in Moldova's history with power consumption reaching 12.65 billion kWh.  According to a strategic outlook for Moldova's power sector issued by the Government in mid 1997, average increase in the annual consumption was estimated at 3 percent until 2005.

 

Moldova is able to produce only about one-third of the power it needs with the rest coming from Ukraine, Romania, independent power suppliers and Moldavskaya GRES, which is located in the breakaway region of Transnistria.  Moldavskaya is by far the biggest power generating plant in the count (see Table 1).  Two, out of three combined heat and power plants, are located in Chisinau, the other one is situated in Balti.  Over 90 percent of fuel used at CHPs is gas, while the other fuel used is number six oil.  Russia's Gazprom is the main supplier of gas to Moldova, while number six oil comes from Romania, Russia, Belarus and Ukraine.  According to press reports, a new gas supplier recently made its way to Moldova with gas reportedly 25 percent cheaper compared with Gazprom's USD 60 per 1,000 cubic meters  according to the 1999 contract.  The press also reported that the gas supply agreement Moldova signed with Gazprom in late December 1999 stipulates a price of USD 80 per 1,000 cubic meters.  However, there is talk that the final price will be somewhat lower. 

 

Moldova's summer generating capacity deficit is estimated at 450 MW, while the winter deficit stands at 650 MW.  The Government's strategic outlook issued in 1997 envisaged an increase in generating capacities from 478 MW at present to 1,143 MW by 2005.

 

Power is transported and dispatched by Moldtranselectro, a state-owned company, which owns high-voltage transmission lines.  The five distribution companies, Chisinau, North Western, Northern, Central and Southern, serve customers at the level of 35kV and down to 0.4-10 kV across Moldova's right bank.  Of them, Chisinau Disco is the biggest, serving 243,737 residential and non-residential customers that use roughly 40 percent of the power consumed.  Northern Disco is the second largest in terms of the power delivered to customers with a share of about 20 percent and a customer base of 285,477.

 

All distribution and generating companies, including the transmission and dispatch company, are regulated by NERA which adopts its decisions through a majority vote taken by its three commissioners.  Given NERA's two-year experience in energy regulation, some Western consultants believe that NERA is well prepared to conduct its legal responsibilities.

 

NERA sets the fee, which the transmission and dispatch company charges from distribution companies.  It also tells domestic generating companies subject to regulation what are the maximum prices they can charge.  A schedule of prices set by NERA is shown in Annex 1.  Power prices or tariffs are set on a cost-plus basis allowing the regulating entities to earn a reasonable profit margin.  Prices are set based on a Tariff Calculation Methodology (TCM) developed and approved by NERA on June 25, 1999.  In particular, the Methodology calls for tariff revision once a year.  If unforeseen changes take place, such as devaluation of the Moldovan currency, change in fuel cost or other changes in cost that may have an impact on the tariff of 3 percent and over, NERA may adjust the tariffs accordingly.

 

 

Contractual Arrangements

Starting with October 1998, distribution companies are allowed to sign bilateral contracts with local power generators bypassing Moldtranselectro.  Moldtranselectro sells power to distribution companies when the latter's portfolio of suppliers is not enough to cover the power needs of its customers.  In the past, Moldtranselectro purchased power from local and foreign generators and suppliers and resold it to distribution companies.  In 1999, NERA made a decision to apportion the output of domestic generators in such a way that retail prices at all the five distribution companies, taking into account foreign sources of power, are approximately the same ensuring uniform tariffs across the economy.  For example, CHP-1's output goes integrally to Chisinau Disco.  CHP-2's output, being competitively priced, is allocated among all the five distribution companies with each receiving a fixed percentage of CHP-2's output.  All output of CHP-Balti, Costesti Hydro and a part of sugar plants' CHPs goes to Northern Disco.  Until November 1, 1999, Chisinau Disco supplied gas to Moldavskaya GRES in exchange for power.  It is yet unclear what, and if, the gas-for-power arrangement will be in the future.   The unwillingness of Moldavskaya GRES to supply power to Chisinau Disco under the existing arrangements caused Moldtranselectro to exceed the power usage set forth in the contract with Ukraine by a significant margin.  At the same time, all distribution companies contract power from Moldtranselectro, which acts as a power dealer between Romania and Ukraine, on one hand, and domestic distribution companies on the other. According to Mr. Anatol Saracuta, General Director of NERA, after CHPs are privatized they will continue to be regulated, possibly having the option of selling power at market prices in wintertime only.

 

“Of the fourteen independent power suppliers at non-regulated tariffs licensed by NERA, only two are active in the Moldovan power market,' says Mr. Saracuta.  For example, Energo Montage is the most active independent power supplier, providing Chisinau and Southern discos with about 52 MW of capacity at unregulated tariffs.  According to the Tariff Methodology, distribution companies, which also act as power suppliers at regulated tariffs, have an incentive to contract power at lower prices.  This is because they are permitted to keep half of the incremental profits resulting from an advantageous deal.  The reason independent suppliers are not active is that power sales are monopolized in Romania and Ukraine, where, with a few exceptions, a single state entity is allowed to export electricity.  Such arrangements keep independent suppliers away from scouting for better deals.

 

It is clear that the market has yet to evolve to using better mechanisms, which would ensure its efficiency and transparency.  NERA, with the advice of Hagler Bailly Services, Inc., a US-based energy consulting firm working in Moldova under a U.S. Government-financed assistance project, prepared a set of market rules for the power sector.  These rules, when adopted, will introduce free market-based mechanisms for trading power and for its economic dispatch.  Currently, interested parties whose feedback will be incorporated in the rules are reviewing the document.  Mr. Saracuta believes that NERA will finally adopt the market rules in early 2000.  Generally, the rules will provide for the institution of a so-called 'power balancing market', whereby, in addition to the existing bilateral contracts, excess and deficit of power will be traded allowing for a more efficient allocation of resources.

 

In the opinion of Mr. James Tasillo, a Western veteran of Moldova's power market reform and project manager at Hagler Bailly's Chisinau office, the goals of the Power Market are to provide adequate, safe, reliable energy to Moldova's consumers at competitive prices.  This, he argues, will encourage power suppliers (power distribution companies) to seek low cost supplies, while the power supply system will operate more efficiently and consumers will benefit from lower cost supplies

 

According to the Electricity Act (available online at www.bisnis.doc.gov), until the end of the year 2000 distribution companies have the exclusive right to supply power to customers located within the boundaries of the area specified in the license.  According to some experts, NERA will extend this deadline until 2005.  Upon a decision which is yet to be issued by NERA, after 2000 the deadline customers will have the right to choose their own power supplier.

 

Customers

At present, residential customers connected to the grid through 1.14 million meters use over 40 percent of power compared with just 10 percent in 1990.  This says a lot about power usage by industrial and other non-residential customers (connected through a little over 15,000 meters), some of whom are barely surviving.

 

Statistics for 1997, the latest year for which this information is available, shows that the combined peak load of 65 Moldovan non-residential customers is 188 MW.  This is roughly 16 percent of the country's peak winter load.  Some of these customers are: Rezina Cement Factory (28 MW peak load), Soroca Water Utility (12 MW), the Chisinau Glass Works (7.5 MW), Briceni Sugar Refinery (6.3 MW) and the tractor-manufacturer Traconm (5.9 MW).

 

Quality of Service

Given Moldova's enormous debts for gas and power supplies, periodic power outages occur.  As recent as November of this year1999, selected areas of Moldova's capital were shut down for an average of six hours per day.  In one particular day, even the Presidential Palace and the Parliament building, which are normally not affected by blackouts, were shut down for a short while.  But the problem is much bigger.  Outside Chisinau, many localities have power for only several hours a day over a long period now.  Publicly available reports abound in evidence that companies are not only experiencing power deficiency, but that power is being shut down without any advance warning whatsoever.  The paradox is that even paying customers suffer blackouts, which are being disconnected along with non-paying ones.  Says Mr. Saracuta, “Everyone understands that it is very hard to disconnect each customer individually, so mass interruptions are practiced.  Few if any of these customers have taken the distribution companies to court.   But normally, a customer contract will say that such power interruptions may occur under a ‘force majeure clause', where, for example, there is not enough generating capacity to cover demand.”  Even when there is power, power frequency is inadequate.  This is mostly because Moldova is dependent on its much bigger neighbor, Ukraine, for maintaining power frequency, which is usually slightly below 50Hz, but hardly ever that amount.

 

Pricing

Pricing of power generated locally is shown in Annex 1.  In the second quarter of 1999 the average tariff for power supplied by Moldavskaya GRES was 38.38 bani/kWh or 3.29 cents/kWh.   Romania sells power to Moldova at 3.25 cents/kWh if payment is made within 30 days and 2.8 cents/kWh if cash advance is effected.  Ukraine's power export company exports to Moldova at 3.2 cents/kWh.  In September 1999 Russia's United Energy Systems was offering Moldova two billion kWh per year at 1.8-2 cents/kWh with the condition that payments were timely and in cash.

 

NERA allows domestic regulated companies to charge a 10 percent mark-up on all reasonably incurred costs, excluding purchased power costs -- for distribution companies and fuel costs -- for CHPs.

 

Challenges

As shown in Table 1, the most 'new' generating assets belong to Moldavskaya GRES dating back to 1980.  However, even at Moldavskaya only two out of 12 generating units are currently in operation.  For several years now, no serious overhaul has been carried out.  According to some estimates, over 100 million U.S. dollars are needed for its rated capacity to become fully operational again.  At other Moldovan CHPs the situation is also dramatic.  For example, CHP-2 is at least five years behind in maintenance works for which an estimated 10 to 15 million U.S. dollars are needed.

 

Power losses or power theft compounds the problem.  An average of 30 percent of power disappears after it reaches distribution companies, of which about 20 percent is due to thefts (see Table 2Table 3).  Anecdotal evidence suggests that in previous years one could buy a book that claimed to provide over one hundred ways to steal power.  Distribution companies beefed up their teams of controllers verifying customer meters and embarked on a program, each of them separately, to replace service drops, take meters outside the house and enclose them in tamper-resistant boxes.

 

A Moldovan company ADD developed a computerized system that, when installed, can monitor in real time power consumption by customers from a remote location.  This system is likely to be used in high-density locations such as Chisinau or Balti.  Some of the distribution companies have even started replacing Soviet-era induction meters with new electronic meters, which are less prone to tampering.  But it takes much more financial and managerial effort to eliminate thefts.  And an appropriate legal framework with an efficient court system plays a crucial role in this.  It is possible, however, that commercial losses are overstated due to the fact that residential customers, who read their own meters, may under-report meter readings.  No small matter is the theft of overhead cables and other equipment.  The Department of Energy reported that during 1999, roughly 1.3 15 million U.S. lei dollars worth of equipment was stolen.

 

The average payment rate in the first ten months of 1999 was 75 percent (losses included).  Of the total payments, 72 percent were in a form other than cash, which partly explains why Moldova is unable to pay its foreign suppliers, not to mention domestic power entities' worsening financial condition.  For example, Moldova paid for only half of the power received from its foreign suppliers in October.  One should not forget the huge debts which, as of January 1, 1999, amounted to 447.3138.32 million lei U.S. dollars at the three CHPs and 946.781.1 million lei U.S. dollars at the five distribution companies.  However, according to the latest press reports, the Moldovan Parliament exonerated all five distribution companies from repaying debts in the amount of 140 million U.S. dollars, the amount representing Moldova's bonds issued to Gazprom which Moldova bought back recently.  Gazprom said it could not tolerate poor payments anymore and cut its gas supply to CHPs to only one fourth of the amount required.

 

Moldova is unlikely to be hit severely by the year 2000 problem.  This is because computers are not as widespread as they are in industrialized countries.  A national task force charged with identifying and solving the Y2K problem in Moldova announced in mid-December that Moldova is 90 per cent ready for the new millennium.  However, the energy sector is reported to be one of the most susceptible to the Y2K glitch, though it is unlikely to cause any major disruptions.  In the words of the head of the Y2K Task Force, Mr. Nicolae Cristea, “the situation is under control.”  The question still remains about the readiness of Moldova's power trading partners, Romania and Ukraine, for the Y2K problem, as considerable amounts of power are imported from these two countries.  Says Mr. Mariyin Vladimir, Chief of Information Systems at Moldtranselectro, “Moldova is more likely to be hit by the Y2K problem from the outside, that is from Ukraine and Romania, than it is from the inside." His estimates are that domestic power dispatch and generating activities are worse prepared for the problem with a 50 percent chance of being hit at the turn of the millennium.

 

Privatization, Greenfield and Other Investments

Privatization is believed to be essential to a better functioning power market.  Says Mr. Tasillo, “No matter how well-organized, ambitious or skillful its management team may be, the existing power entities cannot operate as effectively as a private company with purely commercial objectives guiding its activities.”

 

A bright spot made its appearance in Moldova's history when the winning bid made by Union Fenosa of Spain for Moldova's distribution companies was announced on December 1, 1999.  Union Fenosa offered a hefty USD 20.2 million for the Chisnau Disco and Central Disco (first lot) which were put up for sale as a single package and USD 15.3 million for Northern and North-Western (second lot) also auctioned as one package.  According to the conditions of the tender, no investor can own the first and second lots simultaneously.  This forces Union Fenosa to go with Chisinau and Central, and focus on . The Spanish company is also buying the Southern distribution company.  The third lot, consisting of Northern and North Western distribution companies, will be put up for sale again at the time of privatization of the three CHPs scheduled for February  to be officially announced in the spring of 2000.  Union Fenosa bid along with ABB, EdF Saur, American Energy Systems, UES of Russia, Luganskoblenergo of Ukraine, Cinergy (USA) and ESB International (Ireland).  The Ukrainian and Russian bidders failed to qualify, while the other companies pulled out of competition after the Parliament voted out the reformist government of Ion Sturza.

 

New power generating assets will be added soon to the existing ones.  At he beginning of 1999, SIIF Moldova, a French consortium, received the permit to build a 125-MW gas turbine on the outskirts of Chisinau, in the Budesti region.  The amount to be invested in the project ranges from 250 to 300 million U.S. dollars and will take two to three years to complete.  SIIF Moldova has also committed itself to transforming the plant into a combined cycle operation within four years of commissioning.  It was reported that the contract for the supply of gas to the Budesti plant was signed between EdF, which participates in the SIIF-Moldova venture, and Gazprom of Russia.

 

Another potential investor is Nikolus-Energo.  Interlik agency reported in December 1999 citing sources at the Chisinau City Hall that Nikolus will add a steam turbine to an already existing boiler house located on the eastern side of Chisinau.  Experts gauge that the capacity of this turbine will reach 50 MW in wintertime with a heat-generating capacity of 50 gygacalories.  The power price will be 2-2,1 cents/kWh.  It is planned that the turbine will be up and running in the fall of 2000.

 

Opportunities

Despite the seemingly unfavorable circumstances, a few opportunities exist for U.S. firms to do business in Moldova.  The success of the transaction will largely depend on their ability to identify paying customers or to create conditions such that payment is made on time and preferably in cash.

 

First, there is privatization of Northern and North Western distribution companies and of the three CHPs.  .  The February 2000 privatization of CHPs is also likely to succeed in part due to the already privatized distribution networks, which will instill better commercial discipline among customers.  Given the currently difficult economic situation, assets are also going to be cheaper than at the time when the economy will finally look more promising.  An investor may be likely to get interested in the idle, but still functional, generating capacities of Moldavskaya GRES, which require investments to achieve full capacity.

 

Secondly, given Moldova's power deficiency small power generating units with a capacity of up to 100 MW could be built.  Such units will add maneuverability to Moldova's small power system.  These generating units could be built as: (1) a green field investment following the example of French investors as approximately 325 to 525 MW are still needed; (2) an addition of turbine to an already functioning boiler house, such as the one in Taraclia, Moldova's southern part; and (3) custom-built small generating units designed for a particular client or group of clients.  The green field investment has the advantage of being built exactly to investors' specifications, but carries the disadvantage of potentially being a rather costly endeavor.  The addition of a turbine to an already existing infrastructure, such as the one provided by a boiler house, is likely to be less costly than a green field investment, but may be lacking in certain technical features as the investor would be adjusting to the existing infrastructure limitations.  Some enterprises, whose technological processes require an uninterrupted power supply, are choosing to operate their own power generating units as a backup in case of emergency.  This was what the administration of the industrial park "Alfa" has done to ensure that the seventy-something businesses located on its territory have a more or less secure source of power supply.  Note that according to the Electricity Act, government approval is required to build generating capacities over 20MW.

 

Thirdly, with time, the high voltage lines connecting Moldova with Romania and Bulgaria will need to be upgraded and maybe new ones added.  If one were to assume that Moldova will some day become a power exporter as it used to be only a decade ago, operable transmission capacity will be needed for export purposes.  Not to mention the need to upgrade or replace existing transformers within Moldova, many of which are considerably old.

 

On a smaller scale, more and better metering equipment is required.  As a temporary solution, transparent boxes used to enclose meters are currently in demand as a relatively inexpensive measure to prevent tempering with the meter.

 

The Future

It looks like that most of the legal framework needed for the power market to operate is already in place.  However, NERA will have to adjust to future developments, privatization being one of them.  “The shift to a system based on commercial operations will bring many changes that will benefit consumers, but also it means that ANRE must now begin to learn how to regulate private companies while guarding consumer interests,” says Mr. Tassi llo.  He is also quick to add that success of Moldova's power market will be achieved through dedication and hard work by all participants and Moldtranselectro as market operator.  Many also agree that Moldova must continue to show political will in order to implement successfully needed economic reform.

Table 1. Installed Power Generating Capacities in Moldova

Generating Co. & years of commissioning

MW

Moldavskaya GRES, 1964-80

2,520

CHP-2, 1976

240

Sugar Plants CHPs

100

Dubasari Hydro, 1954

48

CHP-1, 1958-61

46

CHP-Balti, 1958-60

28

Costesti Hydro, 1978

16

Total

2,998

Note: CHP=Combined Heat and Power generating plant

Source: Ekonomicheskoye Obozrenie, no. 29, August 13, 1999

Table 2. Power losses in distribution networks (0.4-10kV), as percent of total power flow

Distribution Co.

1990

1995

1997

1998

1999*

Chisinau Disco

na

9.6

16.82

16.64

17.62

North Western Disco

8.4

19.1

17.74

34.36

35.44

Northern Disco

6.4

23.9

27.34

34.41

36.82

Central Disco

7.2

21.2

30.62

37.50

40.28

Southern Disco

6.4

13.3

24.64

40.00

39.65

AVERAGE, right bank of Dniester river

na

16.6

20.90

32.58

29.70

 

* Jan.-Oct.  1999

 

Source: Kommersant Moldovy, no.44, December 3, 1999

 

Annex 1. Price (Tariff) Schedule for Regulated Entities as set by the National Energy Regulatory Agency effective July 1, 1999*

 

Tariff, without value-added tax (bani/kWh)**

1. Sale of power by generating companies

 

CHP-1

28.21

CHP-2

28.33

CHP-Balti

32.20

Costesti Hydro

1.22

2. Sale of power by state transmission and dispatch company "Moldtranselectro"

including transmission fee

42.70

 

  1.87

3. Charge for the transit of power to other countries (excluding technical losses)

0.2 cents/kWh

4.Sale for power to all customers

50.0***

 

Notes:

*)           1 Leu=100 bani.  As of December 10, 1999January 11, 2000 the official Leu/U.S. dollar exchange rate was 11. 6777 Lei to one U.S. dollar.

**)         All tariffs are based onassume an exchange rate of 12 Lei per one U.S. dollar.

***)       This tariff varies depending on time of day and time of year usage for customers with proper metering equipment and other factors.

 

 

Useful Contacts:

 

MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND ENERGY

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY AND FUEL RESOURCES

Str. Vasile Alecsandri 78

Chisinau, Moldova

Tel: +3732/ 213000

Fax: +3732/ 222264

Contact Person: Mr. Valentin Arion, General DirectorVice Minister

 

NATIONAL ENERGY REGULATORY AGENCY

Str. Columna 101, MD-2012,

Chisinau, Moldova

Tel: +3732/ 212385, 541384

Fax: +3732/ 540534

Email: asaracut@anre.moldpac.md

Contact Person: Mr. Anatol Saracuta, Director; Mr. Veaceslav Chilat, Deputy Director

 

DEPARTMENT OF PRIVATIZATION AND STATE PROPERTY ADMINISTRATION

Str. Pushkin 26, MD-2012 Chisinau, Moldova

Tel.: +3732/ 234350

Fax: +3732/ 234336

Email: privatization@mop.mldnet.com

Website: www.privatization.md

Contact Person: Mr. Alexandru Oleinic, General Director

 

MINISTRY OF ECONOMY AND REFORMS

Chişinău, MD-2033

Piaţa Marii Adunări Naţionale,1

Tel. +3732/ 23-41-42

Fax: +3732/ 23-40-64

Contact Person: Mr. V.Cemirtan, Chief of Energy Unit

 

STATE COMPANY MOLDTRANSELECTRO S.A. (POWER DISPATCH AND TRANSMISSION)

Str. Vasile Alecsandri, 78

Chisinau, Moldova

Tel. +3732/ 253-350

Fax +3732/ 253-142

Email: disp@mtenerg.mldnet.com

Contact Person: Mr. Anatolii Goncear, Director General

 

SA “RE” mun. Chişinău (Chisinau Distribution Company)

Str. A. Doga, 4

Chişinău, MD- 2024

Tel: +3732/ 22-72-84

Fax +3732/ 22-05-47; 43-13-03

Contact Person: Mr. Mihai Cernei, Director

 

SA”RED- CENTRU” (Central Distribution Company)

str. Luceafărul, 13

or. Vatra, MD-2055

Tel.: +3732/ 71-31-59

Fax: +3732/ 71-33-10

Contact Person: Mr. Gheorghe Mihalachi, Director

 

SA “RED- NORD” (Northern Distribution Company)

Bălţi , MD-3100

Str. Ştefan cel Mare, 180

Tel.: +373 231/ 2-20-00

Fax: +373 231/ 2-33-12

Contact Person: Mr. Ion Batrinac, Chief Engineer

 

SA ”RED-NORD-VEST”  (North-Western Distribution Company)

Donduşeni, MD-5100

Str. Ştefan cel Mare, 30

Tel.: +373 251/ 2-23-06

Fax: +373 251/ 2-25-63, 2-42-79

Contact Person: Mr. A. Vengher, Director

 

SA “RED-Sud” (Southern Distribution Company)

Or.Comrat-2, MD-3800

Str. Lenin, 56

Tel/Fax: +373 238/ 2-21-42

Contact Person: Mr. Sava Pandicli, Director

 

SA”CET-1” (Combined Heat and Power Plant no. 1)

Chişinău, MD-2023

Str.Vadul-lui-Vodă, 5

Tel/Fax: +3732/ 37-52-53

Contact Person: Mr. Tudor Moiseev, Director

 

SA “CET-2” (Combined Heat and Power Plant no. 2)

Chişinău, MD-2036

Str. Meşterul Manole,3

Tel: +3732/ 24-13-26

Fax: +3732/ 37-21-25

Contact Person: Mr. Ilarion Popa, Director

 

SA “CET-Nord” (Combined Heat and Power Plant Balti)

Bălţi, MD-3100

Str. Ştefan cel Mare, 168

Tel: +373 231/  2-20-00

Fax: +373 231/ 2-33-12

Contact Person: Mr. Ion BatrŒnac, Chief Engineer

 

SIIF MOLDOVA (the French greenfield investor)

Tel.: +3732/ 21-37-55

Fax: +3732/ 21-37-53

Contact Person: Mr. Sergiu Cobusceanschi

 

S.A. CONCERNUL “MOLDOVAGAZ” (Gas Supplier)

Chişinău, MD-2005

Str. Albişoara, 38

Tel.: +3732/ 22-32-70

Fax +3732/ 24-00-14

 

MOLDEXPO (organizer of annual shows of energy and energy-saving equipment)

Str. Ghioceilor 1

Md-2008 Chisinau, Republic of Moldova

Tel +3732/ 74 74 19

Fax +3732/ 74 74 20

Email: moldexpo@ch.moldpac.md

Contact Person: Natalia Ciocan, Director

 

CONTRACTORS OF THE UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

 

HAGLER BAILLY SERVICES INC. (advisor to regulatory commission)

Str. Columna 101, MD-2012

Chisinau, Moldova

Tel.: +3732/ 544945, 544936

Fax: +3732/ 540534

Email: jtasillo@anre.moldpac.md

Contact Person: Mr. James Tasillo, Project Manager

 

DELLOITTE AND TOUCHE TOHMATSU INTERNATIONAL

Emerging Markets-Moldova Power Sector Privatization

Str. Pushkin 26, Chisinau, MD-012, Rep. of Moldova

Tel.: +3732/ 234267

Fax: +3732/ 237564

Email: DPotash@compuserve.com

Contact Person: Mr. Daniel A. Potash, Resident Advisor

 

CREDIT COMMERCIAL DE FRANCE (energy advisor to the Department of Privatization)

Str. Columna 101, MD-2012

Chisinau, Moldova

Tel.: +3732/ 543298

Fax: +3732/ 225378

Email: ccf@cni.md

Contact Person: Ms. Gabriela Coica, Country Representative

 

MULTILATERAL INSTITUTIONS:

 

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND -- Resident Mission

Chişinău, MD-2033

Piata Marii Adunari Nationale,1, room 105

Tel +3732/ 23-32-32

 

WORLD BANK -- Resident Mission

Chişinău, MD-2012

Str. Şciusev 76/6

Tel.: +3732/ 23-27-37, 23-70-65

Fax: +3732/ 23-70-53

 

EUROPEAN BANK FOR RECONSTRUCTION

AND DEVELOPMENT – Resident Office

Room 309, 98, str. 31 August 1989, Chisinau MD-2012, Moldova

Tel.: +3732/ 248414, 249810

Fax: +3732/ 249363

 

We would appreciate your feedback on this report. Please share your comments and suggestions with us:

 

Business Information Service For the Newly Independent States (BISNIS)

U.S. Embassy Chisinau

Str. Mateevici 103

Chisinau 2009 Moldova

Tel. +373 2 23-37-72

Fax + 373 2 23-41-46

Email: bisnis@mdl.net, dodonuvi@chisinaub.us-state.gov, bisnis@mdl.net,

cc: derek_nowek@ita.doc.gov; searsmj@chisinaub.us-state.gov