Moldovan, Romanian authorities agree to speed up implementation of energy interconnection projects

Chisinau, 23 March /MOLDPRES/-Moldovan Economics Minister Octavian Calmic, Romanian Minister of Economy, Commerce and Relations with the Business Environment Costing Borc and Romanian Energy Minister Victor Grigorescu held a trilateral meeting to tackle the coordination of actions taken to implement energy interconnection projects and broach Romania’s support to this effect.

According to the Moldovan Economics Ministry’s press service, officials discussed the need to coordinate the implementation of interconnection projects, as well as Romania’s support in this sense, so that projects could meet the deadline provided in the Romanian-Moldovan intergovernmental memorandum of understanding.

The Romanian side voiced willingness to inaugurate a representative branch of Transgaz company in Chisinau and offer more support for the development of the Moldovan energy sector. The Romanian officials also noted that the text of the memorandum of collaboration between Romanian and Moldovan electric transport operators, proposed by Transelectrica and negotiated with Moldelectrica, had been finalized. According to the provisions of the intergovernmental memorandum, the document may be signed in the near future.

Moldova’s electric power system operates in parallel with the Ukrainian energy system, with six 330-kV high pressure lines interconnecting them. Moldova’s electrical overhead line of 400 kV connects it to the energy system of Romania and Bulgaria. Three 110-kV overhead power lines connect Moldova to Romania’s power system under island mode configuration. According to the Energy Strategy, the future enlargement of the electricity network will include two more 400-kV power connection lines (Suceava-Balti and Straseni-Ungheni-Iasi) with the Romanian electric power system by 2020.

(Reporter V. Bercu, Editor L. Alcaza)