OREANDA-NEWS. September 07, 2011. In 2010, import (it means consumption as well) of liquefied gas in Moldova increased by 10.4 percent, totaling 66.8 thousand tones; in the first half of this year – by 16.4 percent, totaling 34.9 thousand tones, according to data of the National Energy Regulating Agency.

This tendency is continuing: with the high cost of petrol and diesel oil, car owners switch their cars into the gas fuel. Sellers of gas equipment for cars say its payback period is 3-12 months. Experts claim that this tendency is observed not only in Moldova but in many countries of Europe and Asia, including, in Romania and Ukraine.

Particularly, the rise in excise taxes on petrol and diesel oil from September 1 was announced in Ukraine and the interest in liquefied gas increased in the country. In addition to that, preventing repair works were carried out at some production facilities in countries, where Moldova imports gas from (Romania, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Belarus), and so the gas supply volumes were less.

Oil product importers emphasize that the situation with the liquefied gas at refueling stations will normalize within a week or two. At the same time, they say the liquefied gas consumption growth tendency has been observed throughout the whole region and it can’t leave Moldova unaffected.