Moldova has energised a major electricity transmission line connecting its southern region with Chișinău, expanding access to supplies from Romania and reducing dependence on routes passing through the separatist Transnistrian region.
President Maia Sandu and European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos attended the inauguration on 8 November. The 400-kilovolt Vulcănești–Chișinău line forms part of Moldova’s effort to diversify electricity supply routes and strengthen its connection with the wider European energy market.
Radio Moldova reported that the line could carry electricity equivalent to as much as half of the country’s demand during peak hours. This is a transmission capability, not new electricity generation: the project provides a route for power purchased or produced elsewhere. radiomoldova.md
The line stretches roughly 158 kilometres. Its strategic value comes from linking southern Moldova directly with the capital while bypassing Transnistria, giving the country an additional option when other supply routes are disrupted.
Sandu presented the project as a response to the political vulnerability created by reliance on a limited number of energy sources and connections. She compared its role with that of the Iași–Ungheni–Chișinău gas pipeline, which gave Moldova an alternative route for gas supplies.
The inauguration followed substantial delays. According to the president’s account, the original completion target was August 2024. Russia’s war against Ukraine affected equipment availability and deliveries, while technical difficulties also complicated the project. Radio Moldova reported that line construction was completed in November 2025, followed by testing and acceptance procedures. radiomoldova.md
Kos linked the investment to Moldova’s European integration and its ability to choose suppliers. Speaking at the ceremony, she argued that stronger interconnections would make the network more secure and improve opportunities to purchase competitively priced electricity.
Such statements describe the intended strategic and economic benefits. The commissioning of one transmission line cannot guarantee uninterrupted supply or permanently lower prices, which also depend on generation, market conditions and the reliability of the wider network. TV8.md
The project nevertheless changes the country’s practical options. A government with several usable supply routes is better placed to respond when one becomes unavailable, and less exposed to pressure from any single transit arrangement.
For Moldova, the inauguration marks a tangible infrastructure milestone in a wider effort to make energy independence operational. Its importance will ultimately be measured through the line’s contribution to reliable supply and the flexibility it gives electricity purchasers.
