Moldova has inaugurated a new high‑voltage power line that connects the country to Romania and the wider European electricity grid, a move aimed at reducing its dependence on Russian energy supplies. The line, which runs from the town of Vulcanesti to the capital Chisinau, was officially opened in a ceremony in Chisinau on Sunday. President Maia Sandu, who posted a statement on X (formerly Twitter) that day, said the new connection would help Moldova “strengthen our electricity transmission capacity, diversify our means of supply and reinforce the connection of the Republic of Moldova to the European energy system.” She added that “two more power lines to Romania are on the way.” Sandu also noted that the project would allow Moldova to cut its reliance on the Cuciurgan thermal power plant in the separatist region of Transnistria and that the country would no longer purchase Russian gas. During the inauguration, European Commissioner for Energy Marta Kos said that the new link would enable Moldova to buy energy where it is cheapest. Sandu remarked that “every time Moldova dares to choose something other than what Moscow wants, they threaten to cut our electricity,” echoing long‑standing concerns that Russia has used energy as a political tool. The 400‑kilovolt line, dubbed the “energy independence line,” was launched two years after Moldovan authorities had first promised it. The project follows a parliamentary decision last month to extend a state of emergency until 20 November, a measure intended to ease gas shortages amid rising global energy prices. Moldova, with a population of about 2.6 million, has historically received most of its natural gas from Russia via pipelines that cross the pro‑Moscow breakaway region of Transnistria and through Ukraine. Some European observers have blamed Moscow for the sharp rise in gas prices, accusing the Kremlin of withholding supplies to pressure the continent. In the broader Black Sea region, European‑aligned states have reported renewed attacks that they say are carried out by Russia. Last month, Romania blamed Russia for a drone strike that sank a cargo ship off its Black Sea coast, killing one crew member and leaving three others missing. Ukraine, Romania and Bulgaria have called on NATO to accelerate the deployment of additional surveillance capabilities to protect commercial shipping in the Black Sea. NATO has responded by pledging to send more maritime patrol aircraft, radar systems and drones to the area.
Article source: Kenya News | Image credit: Kenya News