Moldova towards European energy market: contract signed for Bălți-Suceava 400 kv transmission line

The contract for the design, supply of equipment and construction of the Bălți–Suceava 400 kV overhead power line between Moldelectrica, the Moldovan transmission system operator, and the Turkish company SA-RA, the winner of the international tender, was signed on 26 June.

During the same ceremony, the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Moldova, Moldelectrica, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) signed a Grant Agreement for the implementation of the project ‘Interconnection of the Electricity Networks between the Republic of Moldova and Romania – Phase II’, which includes the construction of the Bălți-Suceava 400 kV transmission line.

“We are building three transmission lines that will permanently reshape the energy map of the Republic of Moldova. If Vulcănești-Chișinău is the Energy Independence Line, and Strășeni-Gutinaș will become the Liberty Line, today we are taking another important step with the Bălți-Suceava project, which we have named the Resilience Line,”  said Dorin Junghietu, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Moldova. “It completes Moldova’s network of interconnections with the European Union and represents much more than infrastructure – it delivers greater energy security, stronger market competition, and more opportunities for citizens and businesses.”

The new 400 kV overhead transmission line will extend approximately 45 kilometres across the territory of the Republic of Moldova and will pass through 12 rural localities in the districts of Glodeni, Fălești, Bălți and Rîșcani. The infrastructure will become a key component of the future electricity transmission corridor between the Republic of Moldova and Romania, increasing cross-border electricity exchange capacity and strengthening the security and reliability of the Moldovan power system.

“The EU is proud to support this project of national importance. With our €15.4 million grant, together with the EBRD and the EIB, we are investing in real benefits to citizens’ lives. It is about people, stability, and a shared future. Every new connection with the European energy market means greater security, more opportunities for businesses, and less vulnerability to external pressure,” said EU Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova Iwona Piórko.

The contract is valued at €17.5 million, with an implementation period of 24 months. The project includes the construction of all infrastructure associated with a 400 kV transmission line, including tower foundations, steel structures, conductors, insulators, protection and grounding systems, and the integration of the new infrastructure into the operational architecture of the transmission network operated by Moldelectrica.

Once completed, the Bălți-Suceava 400 kV transmission line will increase the country’s level of interconnection with the Continental European power system (ENTSO-E), enhance the operational flexibility of the transmission network, and create additional opportunities for regional cross-border electricity trading.

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Press release