April 3, 2025, Chișinău - The construction of the 400 kV Bălți-Suceava overhead power line (OHL), the modernization of the 330 kV Bălți substation, and the construction of a new 400 kV substation have been declared of national public utility interest. The government has given a positive opinion on the draft law developed by the Ministry of Energy, which will allow authorities to prioritize the implementation of the project, simplify administrative procedures, and secure the necessary resources for its completion.

“The Bălți-Suceava line is vital for the energy security of the Republic of Moldova. This investment will significantly contribute to the country’s energy integration into the European grid and, of course, will support the use of renewable energy. Moreover, according to the construction project, part of the financial resources will be allocated to investments to be made by the electricity transmission system operator for the reconstruction and modernization of substations, the replacement of transformers and autotransformers,” stated State Secretary Constantin Borosan at the Cabinet meeting.

If the route of the power line affects private land or land owned by administrative-territorial units, these will be subject to expropriation procedures. Owners will be notified in advance of this process and will have the right to express consent to receive fair compensation. The preparation of the bidding documentation for the technical project for the construction of the line, the modernization of the 330 kV Bălți substation, and the construction of the new Bălți 400 kV substation is currently ongoing.

The Bălți-Suceava OHL will have a length of 58 km on the territory of the Republic of Moldova. Additionally, an important aspect of this project involves investments in the existing electrical infrastructure. Approximately 200 substations will be rehabilitated and modernized, and 10 110 kV power transformers will be replaced, thus increasing the reliability and efficiency of the country’s energy system.

A grant of €15.4 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is allocated for the construction of the 400 kV Bălți-Suceava power line.

The grant provided by EBRD covers 20% of the total project amount, which is €77 million. Previously, in the context of implementing the “Electricity Network Interconnection between the Republic of Moldova and Romania, Phase II” project, the Parliament ratified a Loan Agreement between EBRD and the Republic of Moldova, which allocates €30.8 million in repayable financing. Another €30.8 million was reallocated by the European Investment Bank.

The Bălți-Suceava line is the second of the three 400 kV power lines to be built to strengthen the interconnection with the continental European energy system of ENTSO-E. These are the Vulcănești-Chișinău power line, to be completed in 2025; the Bălți-Suceava line, expected to be completed in 2027; and the Strășeni-Gutinaș power line, planned for completion around 2030.