Construction workers report the installation of the last support and the laying of the last kilometer of wire. Once construction is complete, both the line and the new air bridge infrastructure will be subjected to inspections and test activations, which will last at least two months, in order to connect to the grid.
If the construction works are completed, the technological capacities are not yet ready for operation. At the Chisinau 330 kV power substation, the installation of the main equipment is being finalized, with a total progress of about 78%. At Vulcanesti 400 kV, the extension works are 58% complete: the installation of the metal frame has been completed and the installation of the main equipment is starting, UCIPE reports on the current situation.
The construction of the Vulcanesti-Chisinau transmission line started in April 2024 and was to be completed in December 2025. The line with a total length of 157 km crosses 35 settlements in 8 districts, connecting the Vulcanesti 400 kV substation with the Chisinau 330 kV substation. It will be able to transport up to 630 MVA of electricity from Romania, bypassing the Moldavian TPP, which is equivalent to more than 50% of the country’s required consumption during peak load periods.
“We have to admit that there were various difficulties – economic, logistical, some of which were related to the regional context. Nevertheless, we found solutions, mobilized and managed to complete the works on time,” said UCIPE Director Ruslan Surujiu.
The Energy System Development Project is implemented by the Government of the Republic of Moldova through UCIPE (Unit for the Implementation of Energy Projects), with the support of the World Bank Group. The direct beneficiary is Î.S. Moldelectrica. The cost of the project is 61 million euros, of which about 27 million euros for construction have already been utilized.
