Moldova opens new power line to Romania bypassing breakaway Transnistria, Maia Sandu says Russia can no longer use energy as leverage

On November 8, Moldova successfully activated the Vulcănești-Chișinău power line, enabling the nation to import electricity from Romania and European countries without transmitting supplies through the breakaway region of Transnistria. Moldova's Energy Minister Maia Sandu and EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos inaugurated the 400-kilovolt line, which Sandu stated would render Russia unable to leverage Moldova's energy dependence for political coercion.

She emphasized, "No one will be able to blackmail us anymore, turn off our lights, or cut off our heating." Kos confirmed that Moldova's reliance on Russian energy is now a thing of the past. The 158-kilometer transmission line links the Moldovan capital to the Vulcănești substation in the south, with a capacity of 630 megavolt-amperes, sufficient to meet over half of the country's peak-hour electricity demand.

Crucially, this new route avoids the Kuchurgan energy hub in Transnistria, a Russian-backed region not under Moldovan control, bypassing supplies previously routed through that hub. Moldova still relies on the Moldavskaya GRES power plant in Transnistria, owned by Russian energy company Inter RAO, until 2025. However, Russia halted gas deliveries to Transnistria in January 2025, forcing Moldova to increase energy imports from Romania.

The project, costing about 61 million euros and supported by the World Bank, faced delays due to Russia's war against Ukraine and technical issues. While the Vulcănești-Chișinău line mitigates one major energy vulnerability, Moldova still plans to construct two additional connections to Romania to further bolster its energy security.