State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy Caroline Novak
According to the Energy Ministry, the total cost of the Suceava-Bălţi 400 transmission line project is 37 million euros. Loans of 14.8 million euros each will be provided by the EBRD and the European Investment Bank (EIB). There will also be a grant of EUR 7.4 million from the EU.
The 400 kV high-voltage transmission line is intended for transportation of large volumes of electricity purchased in the European Union, namely in Romania. The length of the overhead line on the territory of Moldova will be about 48 km. 157 steel supports are to be installed. The route will pass through 12 settlements.
– The Suceava-Balti line will be a crucial element of our future energy architecture. The project will contribute to the strengthening of energy security and connection to the European power grid,” Karolina Novak, State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, said.
Within the same project, the existing 330 kV substation in Balti will be modernized and a new 400 kV substation will be built.
In April 2025, the Moldovan Parliament adopted in the first reading the draft law proposed by the Ministry of Energy on recognizing the above three objects as objects of national interest.
The technical necessity of modernization and construction of substations in Balti should be explained separately. Currently, from the Cuciurgani power plant, a 330 kV high-voltage line runs to Chisinau, continues to Balti and then goes north, crossing the Ukrainian border.
Accordingly, there is a 330 kV electrical substation in Balti, where transformers step down to 110, 35, 10 and 6 kV for industrial and domestic use. It is at this existing substation that the equipment will be renewed and modernized.
On the other hand, the new Suceava-Bălţi transmission line will have a voltage of 400 kV. Therefore, it is necessary to build a new substation in Balti with transformers designed for 400 kV.
The sectoral ministry informs that the construction of the Suceava-Bălţi line, along with other projects, is part of the national strategy for integration into the pan-European energy system ENTSO-E. The Energy Strategy of the Republic of Moldova until 2030 came into force in February 2013. This document envisages the construction of the Isaccea-Vulcanesti-Chisinau high-voltage power lines, Iasi-Straseni and Suceava-Balti.
For the Suceava-Balti line, the government approved the ratification of the loan agreement with the EBRD a year ago, in April 2024.
Currently, the Isaccea-Vulcanesti-Chisinau line is under construction, with the deadline for commissioning by the end of this year 2025. Plans for the Iasi-Straseni line have been pushed back to 2030.
If now, in 2025, it will be possible to find a contractor based on the results of the upcoming tender, the construction will take about two years. That is, the Suceava-Bălţi transmission line is expected to be commissioned in 2027.
