North Macedonia to invest EUR 50 million in energy renovation of public buildings

The Government of North Macedonia intends to invest at least EUR 50 million in improving the energy efficiency of public buildings.

The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources organized an online coordination meeting, marking the start of preparations for a significant investment cycle for the energy renovation of public buildings in North Macedonia. The meeting was attended by Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources Sanja Božinovska.

According to the ministry, guidelines for the development of a preparatory energy efficiency study were presented, with the goal of making the renovation of the public building stock one of the key state priorities.

A list of 14 priority public buildings was presented

The process is being implemented within the PEEB Cool program, with the support of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and in coordination with GIZ and relevant institutions.

As an initial step, a list of 14 priority public buildings was submitted, with a total area of about 100,000 square meters and an estimated renovation value of about EUR 11 million.

The list represents the basis for creating a significantly broader investment portfolio, with the ambition to reach at least EUR 50 million, the ministry pointed out.

The preparatory study will provide the basis for the next phase – detailed analyses and investments.

It will be necessary to meet at least two of three key criteria for each building

For each building, it will be necessary to meet at least two of the three key criteria: at least 40% energy savings, 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and 40% water savings. In addition, for buildings without cooling systems, at least a 20% improvement in thermal comfort will be required.

The ministry noted that the government already has an obligation to renovate 3% of public buildings annually in the period 2025–2028, with the aim of reaching at least 9% by 2028.

Through this process, the state is establishing a clear, technically based, and investment-ready framework to accelerate the renovation of public buildings, reduce energy consumption, and improve conditions in the public sector, the ministry added.