The Republic of Moldova risks losing €15 million from the European Union’s Growth Plan if the Vulcanesti-Chisinau power line is not put into operation by the end of the year. Energising the infrastructure is one of the conditions set by the authorities for accessing European funding, and the additional period granted to meet this requirement expires in December 2026, Moldova 1 reports.
For the reform to be considered fulfilled, completing construction of the power line is not enough. It must also be energised so that it can actually transmit electricity. The project is in its final stage, and the Ministry of Energy has assured the authorities that the necessary work will be completed on time, Lilia Dabija, Deputy Secretary-General of the Government, explained during the programme “Me and the European Union,” broadcast on Moldova 1 on October 21.
“We are in the final stretch. My colleagues at the Ministry of Energy have assured us that we will implement this measure on time, because its deadline is already in December this year, meaning the grace period expires this year. This measure is worth €15 million and represents support for our state budget,” the Deputy Secretary-General of the Government said.
European funding is granted based on the implementation of reforms agreed with the European Commission. For measures that are not completed on time, the corresponding amounts may be temporarily withheld, while the authorities are given an additional 12 months to make up for the delays. If the requirements are still not met within that period, the funding could be permanently reduced.
The Vulcanesti-Chisinau power line, also known as the “Energy Independence Line,” is 157 kilometres long and will enable electricity to be transmitted from Romania to Chisinau without passing through the MGRES power hub in the Transnistrian region. Construction of the line was completed in November 2025, but putting the entire system into operation also required the modernisation of the substations at both ends.
According to information previously provided by the authorities, the Vulcanesti substation is ready, while the repaired transformer has been installed at the Chisinau substation after being serviced in Spain. The project is currently undergoing the tests and inspections required for full energisation.
The €15 million represents European funding conditional on the implementation of this measure under the reform agenda, not the cost of constructing the power line. The energy project is financed separately through the World Bank.
The European Union’s Growth Plan for the Republic of Moldova, worth a total of €1.9 billion, provides for financial support to be disbursed gradually, depending on the reforms implemented. To date, Moldova has received €661 million, including the most recent tranche of €157 million, granted after 18 of the 20 measures planned for the first half of 2026 were fulfilled.