On the morning of February 24, 2022, Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova were temporarily disconnected from the Soviet power grid. It was a test. The plan called for isolation and reconnection between February 24 and 26 to evaluate some technical parameters. It was hoped that, if all went well, the two countries would permanently secede from the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS, an organization of former Soviet republics) energy system in 2023 to synchronize with the energy systems of Western Europe.
We all know what else happened that morning on February 24th. When Russia began bombing Kyiv, and then the rest of the country, Ukraine refused to connect to the Soviet power grid. The Republic of Moldova, infrastructurally connected to Ukraine, also remained disconnected. For some time, the two countries worked in isolation, like an energy island between the European and Russian grids.
A race against time has begun in Europe. From February 24 to March 16, 2022, the Europeans conducted test after test to see what the risks would be of a blackout, for example, in the case of explosions in Ukraine – “because there really are some uncontrolled flows of energy from which it circulates. from one side to the other,” Otilia Nutsu, public policy analyst in the field of energy and infrastructure, explains to Panorama. “And this test was almost at the limit,” the expert adds. But the risks were considered minimal, so both countries quickly switched to the network of continental Europe.
This almost-forgotten moment after months of war that changed everything in Europe had enormous significance in the region. The Republic of Moldova was practically saved by the disruption of the Soviet power grid from February 24, 2022.
“We were extremely lucky when we connected to the network of continental Europe,” Karolina Novac, adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova on energy issues, admitted in an interview with Panorama. “I don’t want to imagine where we would be without this connection. Otherwise, we would not be able to import electricity from Romania as we do now.”
Read in full at Panorama.ro
Source: Hot News
Lori Barajas is an accomplished journalist, known for her insightful and thought-provoking writing on economy. She currently works as a writer at 247 news reel. With a passion for understanding the economy, Lori’s writing delves deep into the financial issues that matter most, providing readers with a unique perspective on current events.