Technically, Moldova is part of the Ukrainian energy system: why last weekend's accident was felt in several countries

Moldova and Ukraine operate within a single energy system: why the power line failure affected several countries. Photo: DTEK

Moldova is technically integrated into the Ukrainian power grid, so the accident on the power lines last weekend caused power outages on both sides of the border.

This was reported by Oleksandr Kharchenko, director of the Energy Research Centre, to Hromadske Radio.

He explained that it would be incorrect to call the events of last weekend, when Moldova experienced power problems on 31 January against the backdrop of power outages in Ukraine, a blackout. It was a cascade accident — a chain shutdown of individual power lines, which did not lead to a complete paralysis of the system. A blackout implies a much larger scale and more serious consequences.

«In energy terminology, what happened is called a cascade failure. A blackout, however, implies a larger scale and significantly more unpleasant consequences. Only after the investigation based on the protocols of the European Association of Transmission System Operators will it be possible to say exactly what happened,» said Oleksandr Kharchenko.

At the same time, it is known that the initial factor was the shutdown of the line connecting Moldova and Romania, which has access to the Ukrainian power system. This triggered an automatic response from the Ukrainian side, after which 11 more high-voltage lines were sequentially shut down.

«All we know is that the line connecting Moldova with Romania on one side and Ukraine on the other was disconnected. This disconnection triggered a corresponding reaction from the Ukrainian side, and one of the lines on the Ukrainian side was disconnected, which in turn led to the disconnection of, I believe, 11 other high-voltage lines. As a result, we ended up with the situation we are discussing. Technically, Moldova is part of the Ukrainian power grid. That is, from a physical point of view, Moldova does not have a separate power system in principle. It is part of Ukraine's power system. Therefore, everything that happens in Ukraine happens in Moldova and, unfortunately for us, vice versa. And any mistakes in the operation of the Moldovan network immediately affect Ukraine,» said Oleksandr Kharchenko.

It is this interdependence, according to him, that often causes increased anxiety among people during emergency blackouts. At the same time, the expert emphasises that this time the situation was managed thanks to the quick response of Ukrenergo dispatchers.

«If it weren't for the professionalism of Ukrenergo dispatchers and their response to the situation, it could have been much worse. Let me remind you that the blackout in Spain this summer occurred for much less significant reasons and without an energy system that has been shelled hundreds and thousands of times,» added Oleksandr Kharchenko.

The expert also explained that in high-rise buildings, the simultaneous switching on of electrical appliances during power supply hours overloads the networks. This causes circuit breakers to trip, cables to be damaged, and residents to be left without electricity again.