Moldova receives fuel shipment to ease shortage
A 6,000-tonne diesel shipment arrived at Giurgiulești International Free Port to address critical fuel shortages across Moldova.
Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu confirmed that distribution to gas stations nationwide will begin shortly.
The delivery follows a 30-day state of alert in the energy and hydrological sectors declared by the government on July 28. Supply chain disruptions recently left roughly 64 fuel stations completely out of stock.
To manage the deficit, authorities temporarily increased the commercial margin on diesel by €0.019 (approx. 0.37 MDL) per liter and updated the maximum price formula.
Emergency measures and export restrictions
The government introduced strict market controls to prevent severe supply failures. These include temporary limits on diesel exports and re-exports, as well as sales restrictions on fuel containers over 40 liters, excluding agricultural workers.
Public institutions must also reduce their diesel consumption by at least 20%. Meanwhile, importers are being encouraged to diversify supply routes toward regional refineries in Turkey and Bulgaria.
*"Some stocks have already entered the market, and we expect the emergency measures to yield results quickly,"* Junghietu stated following a cabinet meeting.
Supply bottlenecks and global pressures
Moldova imports 99.9% of its fuel, making its domestic market highly vulnerable to external logistics failures and global price hikes.
The current shortage stems from a combination of regional bottlenecks. Major damage to terminals at Russia's Novorossiisk port disrupted Kazakh crude exports, which supply Romania's Petromidia refinery—a primary fuel provider for Moldova.
Simultaneously, Middle East tensions drove global oil prices past $100 per barrel before easing below $90. Severe drought conditions have also lowered Danube water levels, delaying barge transport to the Giurgiulești port.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
