Minister of Energy: “Emergency energy prices could reach €400 per megawatt”
Russia's extensive attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure over the past weekend have severely disrupted electricity distribution. As a result, Moldova has had to request emergency electricity from Romania. Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu stated that this urgent technical intervention could cost between €300 and €400 per megawatt. He explained during an interview on Moldova 1's ÎN CONTEXT show that this assistance was made possible by the synchronization of the electricity systems of both countries. It is essential for maintaining stability and meeting domestic consumption needs.
The power system of the Republic of Moldova relies heavily on Ukraine for balance. Recently, there were massive attacks on the Ukrainian power system on Friday afternoon, throughout the night, and into Saturday morning. These attacks affected production capacities, distribution, and transport systems, creating a deficit.
Minister Dorin Junghietu explained that as a result of this imbalance in the Ukrainian power system, Moldova had to draw more energy through its network. Consumers in Moldova who were still receiving power from Ukraine began to consume more than usual. To maintain stability in the national power system, Moldova had to procure emergency power from Romania for approximately 3 hours, totalling about 270 megawatts.
Junghietu clarified that this situation was technical, not commercial. The costs associated with emergency power are substantial and are determined later.
"We are in a common power grid. This is not a commercial issue; it’s a technical one. We only know the price of this emergency energy at the end of the month, after all calculations are completed. However, it is typically much more expensive, potentially reaching between 300 to 400 euros per megawatt," he said.
The minister noted that the structure of cross-border energy exchanges remains unchanged: Moldova continues to import power from Romania, redirecting most of it to Ukraine.
To prevent similar situations during weekends or as experienced in previous years, certain technical measures have been implemented. In addition to the emergency power sourced from the Romanian national grid, operational adjustments were undertaken to reconfigure the national system. This included increasing interconnections with Romania, utilizing additional links that assist in maintaining system stability.
The new Vulcănești - Chișinău power line, which spans eight districts and 35 localities over a distance of 157 kilometers, is nearing completion and aims to eliminate current vulnerabilities.
"Besides addressing the weaknesses in the current configuration, this new line will strengthen the stability of the energy system by connecting the Vulcănești station with the Chișinău station, which is part of a more complex energy node," Junghietu explained.
In conclusion, the minister urged citizens to use energy responsibly to avoid disconnections and help maintain system stability.
"The consumption curve has changed significantly. During the summer and autumn, peak consumption typically peaked between 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM. Now, we observe over 700 megawatts of consumption from 9:00 AM to 11:00 PM. I've reviewed reports from yesterday and today, and the consumption pattern has shifted notably. This might be due to seasonal factors, as well as the warmer climate resulting in colder days. We need to adjust our thermal comfort levels so that everyone can contribute to stabilizing the energy system," Junghietu said on Moldova 1 TV.
Russian drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian energy infrastructure on December 5-6 led to the disconnection of a power plant in the Republic of Moldova. The electricity transmission system operator, Moldelectrica, managed to maintain operational stability and the energy balance needed to fully cover the Republic of Moldova's electricity consumption after requesting emergency assistance from Romania.
According to Moldelectrica, the interconnection lines were loaded near capacity, and to prevent overloads, the operator requested “emergency assistance” from Romania for several hours. The energy was delivered through the 400 kV Isaccea–Vulcănești line, based on the existing agreement between Transelectrica and Moldelectrica on trade and interconnection capacities.
Romania exported over 1,300 MW to Chisinau, thereby supporting both the Republic of Moldova's internal needs and subsequent exports to Ukraine, which receives almost 1,000 MW. The high production of hydropower plants and wind farms in Romania supports energy flows.
