The Republic of Moldova maintains energy balance after the Isaccea–Vulcănești outage through imports from Romania and Ukraine during peak hours

Following the attacks on energy infrastructure in southern Ukraine, the Isaccea–Vulcănești power line was taken out of service on March 23.

Starting March 24, the authorities of the Republic of Moldova, together with Energocom and Moldelectrica, cooperated with transmission system operators from several interconnected European countries to maintain the stability of the power system. In this context, Parliament declared a state of emergency in the energy sector for 60 days in order to prevent potential cascading outages.

Ensuring consumption through imports and interconnections

During the outage period, electricity demand was fully covered without resorting to emergency power, albeit with increased reliance on imports. Energy was procured on a commercial basis from both Romania and Ukraine, depending on market availability. Moldelectrica also utilized the four 110 kV interconnection lines with Romania to transmit electricity, supplementing the deficit with deliveries from Ukraine.

Managing consumption during peak hours

The greatest pressure on the system occurred in the evening, when consumption rises significantly. During these intervals, imports from Ukraine accounted for approximately 25–30% of demand. During the daytime, however, a substantial portion of consumption was supported by domestic generation, including cogeneration plants and other local sources.

Repairing the damage and returning to normal

Repair works were delayed due to on-site risks, including the presence of crashed drones near the affected area, which required demining operations. Following their completion, interventions progressed, and the faults on the 400 kV line were remedied on March 28. The restoration of its operation reinstated interconnection capacity and strengthened the security of electricity supply in the Republic of Moldova.