Will North Macedonia become self-sufficient in electricity production?

The vision of the new ministry is for North Macedonia to become self-sufficient in electricity production. According to Božinovska, it is crucial for the country to focus on domestic electricity generation, as it currently lacks new renewable energy capacities.

Why did the new government of North Macedonia need securing energy supplies?

Firstly, the Ministry of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources needed to address a critical issue: securing energy supplies for the winter. Sanja Božinovska stated that the new Government of North Macedonia inherited a challenging situation in the energy sector and had to make every effort to ensure a reliable energy supply throughout the winter.

Is North Macedonia a state-owned power company?

North Macedonia’s state-owned power company was unbundled and partially privatized in the early 2000s. Austrian utility company EVN has been responsible for electricity distribution in North Macedonia since entering the market in 2006.

How many power plants are there in North Macedonia?

The electric power production system in North Macedonia consists of two coal power plants with a total installed capacity of 825 megawatts (MW), several hydro power plants with a total installed capacity of 695 MW, one combined generation power plant, a heavy oil plant, solar power plants, a few biogas plants, and two wind power farms.

Does North Macedonia need private investors?

“One thing is certain: if private investors are included, we want to have majority ownership because North Macedonia needs to own energy production capacities,” she says. Like other countries in Southeast Europe, North Macedonia is flooded with investor applications for the grid connections of new solar and wind projects.

Does North Macedonia still have a coal power plant?

The smaller coal power plant, “REK Oslomej,” which was dormant through 2020, was reactivated in 2021 to help North Macedonia reduce its reliance on electricity imports. ESM refurbished the “REK Bitola” coal power plant boilers in 2017, but its equipment is still largely outdated.