Interconnection with the Ukrainian energy system and Russian attacks pose a serious threat to the country’s energy security, the head of the Cabinet of Ministers has said.
He noted that companies were affected, but the losses were minimal thanks to the quick reaction of the authorities as well as Romania and Ukraine.
The incident left 70% of consumers without electricity, highlighting the vulnerability of Moldova’s energy infrastructure. Although the losses were insignificant due to the weekend, a new energy crisis could have devastating consequences on the economy and citizens’ daily lives, Alexandru Munteanu said. And emphasized the importance of interconnections with Romania to ensure energy stability, as well as the need to develop long-term solutions.
Context
The recent blackout in Moldova occurred against the backdrop of serious problems in the Ukrainian energy system caused by Russian attacks on the energy infrastructure. The former head of Ukrenergo, Volodymyr Kudrytskyy, emphasized that it is not correct to call the incident a blackout, even a partial one. In his opinion, it is a cascading systemic accident. Since the power grids of Ukraine, Moldova and Romania work in close synchronization, a failure in one sector instantly triggered a domino effect.
“The disruption in the interconnected power grids of the three countries led to a serious incident. This is what caused mass blackouts, not a complete de-energization [of Moldova and Ukraine],” Kudritsky said.
The expert “reassured”: although the situation looked threatening, Moldova and Ukraine got off “lightly”.
