Moldova weighs environmental permit for Rîbnița steel plant
Moldova’s Environmental Agency is reviewing an environmental permit application for the Rîbnița metallurgical plant, Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder said on Wednesday, dismissing reports that the permit was already granted.
Regulatory scrutiny
Hajder addressed reporters following a cabinet meeting on October 15, clarifying that the plant's documentation remains under strict technical assessment. He stressed that administrative decisions cannot be influenced by political preferences and must adhere strictly to statutory procedures.
“This is a rigorous verification process, so it is not enough for one minister or another to want or not want this to happen,” Hajder said. The Environmental Agency is scheduled to release the findings once the review concludes.
“What matters for us is that all standards and legislation of the Republic of Moldova are fully respected, just as they are for any company in the country,” the minister added.
The plant, known by its industrial acronym MMZ, is currently operating under an environmental permit issued last year, which remains valid until October 20, 2026.
Energy pressures and operations
Located on the left bank of the Dniester, MMZ represents a major pillar of the industrial economy in Moldova’s breakaway eastern region. Its manufacturing output has faced repeated disruptions in recent years due to severe power shortages triggered by Russian strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
In November 2024, former Energy Minister Victor Parlicov noted that the facility lacked sufficient electricity to operate at standard industrial capacity. At the time, power delivered via a 110 kV line only covered essential standby operations.
Transmission constraints deepened following a strike on energy infrastructure in Ukraine’s Odessa region on December 12, 2025, which knocked the crucial MGRES–Podolsk–Rîbnița power line out of service.
The enterprise resumed operations on July 5 after an extended shutdown. Restarting the steel-smelting unit was made possible through power supplies coordinated with the Cuciurgan power station in Dnestrovsk and the partial restoration of the Podolsk electrical substation in Ukraine.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
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