North Macedonia calls for bids in 80 MW solar power auction

North Macedonia launched a public call for support to individual photovoltaic plants with a total installed capacity of 80 MW in the form of premiums.

Investors in solar power projects on private land or public land for which the right of use has been established can submit bids for the upcoming auction by October 5, when bids are scheduled to be opened, the Ministry of Economy of North Macedonia said. Under 15-year contracts, the selected participants will be paid premiums on top of the price of the electricity they sell, according to the announcement.

The award criterion is the lowest fixed premium. An electronic auction will be the last stage of the open procedure, upon the initial full evaluation of bids whereby it was determined that there are at least two acceptable bids.

Reverse bidding is obligatory

The lowest amount of fixed premium of all acceptable bids shall be set as starting amount for the e-auction, whereas for the auction to be successful it is required that there was at least one reverse bidding below the starting amount, the ministry said. The bid of the bidders that don’t make at least one reverse bidding will be rejected, it added.

The bidding language will be Macedonian. Participants are obligated to provide a guarantee of EUR 50 per kW of planned installed capacity of the photovoltaic plants.

Countdown to 2027

The country has an ambitious plan to shut down its coal power plants by 2027, replacing them with solar parks, wind farms and gas units. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said last week that the government would invest jointly with Serbia and Albania in a 700 MW photovoltaic plant. Such a unit would now be the biggest in Europe.

In its latest statistics report, the International Renewable Energy Agency said North Macedonia almost quadrupled its photovoltaic capacity last year to 94 MW even though no large solar power plants came online.