VIDEO // Construction and installation works of Vulcănești-Chișinău line completed by about 99%

The construction and installation works of Vulcănești-Chișinău Overhead Power Line are about 99% completed, workers currently working on the last pole and extending the final kilometer of conductor. After the completion of construction, in order to connect it to the network, both the line and the new infrastructure, the equipment will undergo rigorous inspections and tests.

Minister of Energy Dorin Junghietu said that the testing works will probably begin in December.


“The construction work on the line component is nearing completion. The last pole is being erected. There are a few hundred meters of conductor left, and the line construction works will be completed shortly. Parallel work is being done in the two stations. For the line component, after construction is completed, testing will begin likely starting in December, while construction work continues at both the Vulcănești and Chișinău stations,”  Junghietu said at a press club.


At the same time, work is also progressing at the electric stations. At the Chișinău 330 kV Electric Station, the installation of the primary equipment is being finalized, reaching an overall progress of about 78%. At the Vulcănești 400 kV Electric Station, the expansion works have reached 58% — the metal framework installation has been completed, and the primary equipment installation is set to begin.


“Behind each pole and each kilometer of line lies months of work, planning, and coordination. From technical design, land expropriation, materials testing, to construction — each phase was essential and carefully controlled. We must acknowledge there were various challenges — economic, logistical, some related to the regional context. Nevertheless, we found solutions, mobilized, and managed to complete the works on time,” mentioned Ruslan Surugiu, Director of the Energy Project Implementation Unit (UCIPE).


Therefore, procedural activities for finalizing works and starting the testing period are planned for the upcoming period. Subsequently, a gradual energization will occur, taking up to 60 days, during which the line's operational behavior will be inspected in real-time, and after all parameters are validated, it will be put into operation, announced UCIPE. These procedures are natural and mandatory for critical infrastructure, ensuring safety and reliability.

The line has a total length of 157 km, crosses 35 localities in eight districts, connecting the Vulcănești 400 kV Electric Station with the Chișinău 330 kV Electric Station. It will be able to transport up to 630 MVA of power, equivalent to over 50% of the country's peak consumption requirement.

The line includes 507 metal poles, with a total weight of over 10,000 tons, equivalent to the Eiffel Tower. The tallest pole is 48 meters, and the shortest is 27 meters.

Over 1,500 km of conductors (approximately 1,900 tons) and 157 km of optical fiber, which will ensure secure data transmission between electric stations, are used for construction.

The construction of Vulcănești-Chișinău High Voltage Line effectively started in April 2024 and is part of the Power System Development Project, financed by the World Bank Group. Its value is 61 million euros, of which about 27 million euros are for the construction of the Line.

The construction of Vulcănești-Chișinău power line is a project of strategic importance for the energy security of our country. The new power line will allow the transport of electricity from Romania or other European markets to Chișinău, without passing through the Moldovan power plant, located in the Transnistrian region.