Energy minister at Security Forum says Moldova takes concrete steps to enhance, strengthen energy resilience, security

Energy is the key to a country's security, and Moldova is taking concrete steps to enhance and strengthen the country's energy resilience and security. The most important measures in this regard are based on diversifying energy supply sources, building additional cross-border interconnections with Romania and increasing electricity production capacities from renewable sources. Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu has made statements to this effect, who today participated in the Moldova Security Forum, held in Chisinau.

According to the energy minister, the crises of recent years have been a massive opportunity for Moldova to strengthen the resilience and security of the energy system.

The country continues to make significant steps in this direction, and one of the priority directions is building additional cross-border interconnections with Romania. Thus, alongside the construction works of the Vulcanesti-Chisinau Line, which are close to completion, the authorities are making efforts to advance processes on the Balti-Suceava Line.

“They will help us not only by enhancing resilience and diversifying energy supply routes, but also present a gateway for our full integration with the European electricity market. Without at least one additional interconnection, besides the Vulcanesti-Chisinau Line, it will be very complicated. Therefore, for us, the second interconnection, Balti-Suceava, is a priority. We are at the stage of evaluating offers from the first tender for the line component and initiating tender number 2 for modernizing the Balti station,” said Dorin Junghietu.

At the same time, authorities aim to develop the generation of local electricity  from renewable sources. “Huge progress has been made in this area over the last four years. One of the approaches taken by Moldova is developing the potential of renewable energy. By the end of November, we reached a capacity of 890 MW of installed wind, photovoltaic and biogas plants in Moldova,” said the minister.

According to him, in just three years, electricity production capacities from renewable sources have increased sixfold and the authorities aim to reach a 30-per cent share of renewable energy in final consumption by 2030.

With the growing share of energy from renewable sources, which also introduces variable elements into the grid, efforts are being made to launch the balancing services and system services market.

“The tender has been launched and is underway with Romanian colleagues and European partners. Enormous effort has been made to initiate this tender and it is in progress to identify those necessary capacities for balancing, in order to absorb imbalances generated by photovoltaic systems,” highlighted Minister Junghietu.

At the same time, another priority direction in the energy sector is diversifying energy supply sources, and authorities are making constant efforts to this end. “We continue to work, we have much to do, and together we will succeed, because energy is the key to a country's security,” concluded Dorin Junghietu.

The second edition of the Moldova Security Forum is organized in Chisinau on November 18-19. The event brings together officials from Moldova and partner countries, representatives of NATO and the European Union, experts, civil society members and academics, in order to analyze emerging risks, identify current vulnerabilities and formulate common solutions and strategic responses for strengthening national and regional resilience.