Moldova launches new power line to Romania to cut reliance on Russia

Moldova has inaugurated a new electricity link to Romania and the European grid, aiming to reduce its dependence on Russian energy and strengthen its energy security. President Maia Sandu said the country no longer buys Russian gas and described past reliance on Moscow as a source of political pressure.

The 400-kilovolt line runs from Vulcanesti to Chisinau and increases Moldova’s electricity transmission capacity, allowing it to rely less on the Cuciurgan power plant in the separatist region of Transnistria. Energy Commissioner Marta Kos said Moldova could buy power from the cheapest available source, while Sandu said two further links to Romania are planned. The project opened two years later than initially promised, as Moldova faces gas shortages and high global energy prices.