The Government of the Republic of Moldova has approved a bill declaring the construction of the 400 kV Strășeni–Gutinaș overhead power line and the modernization and expansion of the Strășeni 330 kV substation to be works of national public utility. Drafted by the Ministry of Energy, the bill aims to strengthen Moldova’s energy security and develop interconnections with the European electricity system.

The bill provides for exemptions from certain legal requirements governing expropriation, urban planning and construction, land use, roads and cadastral property formation, with the aim of preventing delays in project implementation.

The state-owned Institute for Territorial Planning (IPOT) will also be designated as responsible for initiating the process of forming real estate properties along the entire power line route. This will enable cadastral works to be carried out in a coordinated manner.

Work in areas containing archaeological heritage will be permitted only after the required archaeological clearance procedures have been completed. The project is scheduled for completion in 2032.

Landowners affected by the project will receive compensation for expropriation. Compensation for land permanently affected by the works will be based on market prices and may not be lower than the value established through an official assessment.

Estimated compensation amounts to approximately MDL 2,100 per are of land permanently affected and around MDL 200 per are of land temporarily affected, for a period of one year.

Compensation payments, cadastral works and related administrative measures will be financed from allocations from the state budget.

The new power line will extend approximately 70 kilometres across Moldovan territory, establishing a direct connection between the Strășeni substation and Romania’s electricity transmission network through the Gutinaș substation. The route will cross 25 localities in the districts of Strășeni, Călărași, Nisporeni and Hîncești.

The construction of the 400 kV Strășeni–Gutinaș power line is backed by a USD 130 million funding commitment from the United States Government. Last week, the Ministry of Energy, Moldelectrica, Black & Veatch and the US Embassy in Chișinău launched a working group for the project, named the “Trump Liberty Line.”

The project is considered strategic for Moldova’s energy security and integration into the European electricity system. The new infrastructure is expected to diversify electricity transmission routes, improve system reliability and reduce the risk of power supply interruptions.

The project also includes the modernization and expansion of the Strășeni 330 kV substation, enabling more efficient integration of the new power line into the electricity transmission network.