Analysis of power system of the Republic of Moldova in the context of the interconnection to ENTSO-E and accesion to European Union

Abstract

The need to analyze the Moldovan power system comes in the context in which the Republic of Moldova has become a serious candidate for accession to the European Union, and one of the conditions of accession is the interconnection to electricity european networks – ENTSO-E, which is the network of the 39 transmission system operators from 35 countries in the European Union. Against the background of military instability following the war between Russia and Ukraine and dependence on the Russian power system, interconnection with other States within the European Union becomes a strategic objective of ensuring energy security and implicitly national and European. Since Romania is the only credible potential strategic energy partner, all possibilities for cross-border interconnection must be considered. In order to have a safe and secure cross-border interconnection with Romania and implicitly with the European Union, the Moldovan power system must meet some criteria recommended by ENTSO-E: consumption coverage; primary power regulation; secondary frequency-power regulation; voltage regulation; operation safety at criterion (N-1) elements; anti-damage measures. Because an power system can be vulnerable to various threats, risks or internal or external dangers, the authors aim to critically analyze the Moldovan power system, as it generates critical infrastructures that ensure the energy and national security of the Republic of Moldova.