Independence Line Delayed: Vulcănești Substation Completed, but Launch of Power Line to Chișinău Still Pending

Construction works at the 400 kV Vulcănești electrical substation in the Republic of Moldova have been completed. The facility has been prepared for energisation. However, the full commissioning of the strategic Vulcănești–Chișinău overhead power transmission line has once again been postponed.

According to the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Moldova, the equipment at the Vulcănești substation has undergone the required technical tests. Specialists have connected all three phases and are carrying out the final adjustments. Acceptance procedures for the facility are expected to begin shortly.

At the same time, works at the 330 kV Chișinău substation are still ongoing. Three teams are currently working at the site: the installation of relay protection cabinets is being completed, while the connections required to integrate the substation into the national power system are being prepared.

The Vulcănești–Chișinău overhead power transmission line is approximately 157 kilometres long. It will connect the south of the country with the capital’s energy hub and enable electricity supplies from Romania to reach central Moldova directly, bypassing the Moldovan GRES node in Cuciurgan, located in the Transnistrian region, which is not controlled by the constitutional authorities of the Republic of Moldova.

The project, known in Moldova as the Energy Independence Line, is being implemented with financing from the World Bank Group. Its total cost is approximately €61 million, of which around €27 million has been allocated directly to the construction of the power line. The line crosses eight districts and 35 settlements.

Construction of the overhead transmission line itself was completed in November 2025. However, the modernisation of the substations required for its commissioning has proved more complex and time-consuming than expected. In April 2026, Moldova’s Minister of Energy, Dorin Junghietu, demanded that the substation works be completed by the end of May and warned that penalties could be imposed on contractors in the event of further delays. In May, the completion of certain works at the Chișinău substation was already expected by the end of June.

Official documents also indicate that the project deadlines have been revised repeatedly. Initially, completion was scheduled for August 2024 and later postponed until the end of 2025. The current implementation deadline has been extended to 30 June 2026.

Commentary by the Institute of Danube Research

The completion of works at the Vulcănești substation is an important practical result. However, a clear distinction must be made between the readiness of an individual facility and the full commissioning of the entire transmission line. For Moldova’s energy security, what matters is not the formal completion of another project stage, but the actual capacity to ensure stable electricity transmission from the European market to the central part of the country.

Delays in the implementation of strategic infrastructure projects have not only a technical but also a security dimension. The Vulcănești–Chișinău line should reduce Moldova’s vulnerability to political and energy pressure associated with its dependence on infrastructure located in the Transnistrian region.

Experts from the Institute of Danube Research have previously noted that this project is also important for Ukraine. Strengthening Moldova’s energy resilience and developing cross-border interconnections with Romania contribute to a more reliable energy security architecture for the entire Black Sea–Danube region. At the same time, the experience of this project confirms that strategic infrastructure initiatives require realistic planning, transparent monitoring of deadlines and personal accountability of those responsible for their implementation.