Wineries in the Republic of Moldova are moving away from Russian gas: “We were hostages of Gazprom”
- Wineries in the Republic of Moldova are increasingly turning to renewable energy, as part of the country’s orientation towards the West and efforts to reduce dependence on Russian gas.
- The Ministry of Energy of Moldova estimates that last year households and businesses tripled their sources of renewable energy.
- “We were Gazprom’s hostages and I didn’t want to depend on them,” said Ion Luca.
The Cricova Winery, founded in 1952 by a Soviet decree bearing the signature of Joseph Stalin, reduced its energy costs by 25 percent after building photovoltaic parks and improving its insulation, reports Financial Times.
“The entire wine production process has been modernized … because we are adapting to today’s consumers and global trends,” said Cricova director Sorin Maslo.
After Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moldova accelerated its orientation towards the West, applying for EU membership and seeking alternative energy sources to reduce dependence on the giant Gazprom.
Wine producers, an important sector of the country’s economy, followed suit. Cricova withdrew from public display the wine collection of Vladimir Putin, consisting of 607 bottles, which the Moldovan government offered to the Russian leader on the occasion of his visit in 2008.
The Ministry of Energy of Moldova estimates that last year households and businesses tripled their sources of renewable energy, especially photovoltaic energy.
Smaller businesses, such as the new winemaker Luca, have also benefited from state subsidies to go green.
Owner Ion Luca told the Financial Times that he avoided gas from the start, when construction began in 2018. “We were Gazprom’s hostages and I didn’t want to depend on them,” said Ion Luca.
Purcari, a Moldovan brand that has a strong presence on Western markets after turning its back on Russia, is also switching to ecology.
Vasile Tofan, chairman of Purcari’s board of directors, said the change was caused by Russia’s repeated embargoes on wine in the 2010s.
“Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me,” said Tofan. The Russian bans initially brought Purcari “to his knees”, but in the end turned out to be “a blessing”, as they accelerated the westward movement.
In 2014, when Russia annexed Crimea, Purcari produced “a liquid manifesto”, Freedom Blend, a wine made from grape varieties from Crimea, Georgia and Moldova. Since then, Purcari has become a staple at festivals in Romania and is available in the UK, Germany, Poland as well as online.
From 2021, Purcari managed to cover a third of its energy consumption using photovoltaic panels. Vasile Tofan told the FT that this change had to happen because Russia strangled Moldova’s gas supply and imposed price increases long before it invaded Ukraine, the war being only the last catalyst for this transition.
Source: www.mediafax.ro
