CHISINAU, Jan 2 (Reuters) - The main power plant in Moldova's Transdniestria has started using coal after Russian gas supplies halted on Jan. 1, and it should able to supply electricity to the breakaway region's residents in January and February, the region's leader said.

The severing of Russian gas via Ukraine on Wednesday caused cuts to heating and hot water supply in the mainly Russian-speaking territory that split from Moldova in the early 1990s and where Russia has 1,500 troops.

Transdniestria's leader Vadim Krasnoselsky said in a statement late on Wednesday that the region had gas reserves that could likely last for 10 days of limited usage in its northern parts and twice as long in the south.

He described the energy crisis as a serious test, but said that authorities in the unrecognised republic had taken various measures to prepare in addition to switching the power plant to running on coal.

Officials, he said, were continuing to supply gas to apartment blocks for residents to cook, schools were being switched to a remote regime, and 30 points equipped in the region to provide warmth and hot food to people.

The Moldovan government in Chisinau has said it is taking measures to cut energy consumption in the country by at least a third. It plans to meet 38% of its needs by domestic production, including 10% from renewable energy, and import the remaining 62% from neighbouring Romania.

(Reporting by Alexander Tanas; Writing by Anastasiia Malenko; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

((Anastasiia.Malenko@thomsonreuters.com;))