Romania's June 2019 natural gas imports, up 364 times from June 2018

Romania's June 2019 natural gas imports were standing at 1,479,598 MWh, 364 times more than the same month last year, according to data released by the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) .

In June 2018, Romania imported only 4,061 MWh.

At the same time, the average price of imported gas in June 2019 was 82.08 lei per MWh, according to ANRE data, 19pct lower than that the price for Romanian gas traded on the stock exchange (101 lei per MWh), as quotations on the Romanian Commodities Exchange indicate.

Under emergency ordinance no.114/2018, approved in December 2018, the Romanian Government set the price for the entire domestic natural gas production at 68 lei per MWh for the next three years. Emergency ordinance no.19/2019 approved in March 2019 amended the provision, pegging to the fixed price only the gas intended for domestic consumers and thermal power plants, starting on May 1.

That has led to an increase in the price for domestic gas for industrial consumers traded on the commodity exchange, so local business operators prefer to import rather than buy Romanian gas.

In late May, Energy Minister Anton Anton said the increase in gas imports is not a problem.