North Macedonia’s first annual construction plan for energy projects envisages EUR 1.4 billion in investments

The annual construction plan for energy projects for 2025 envisages the installation of power plants with a capacity of 1,265 MW, according to Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources Sanja Božinovska.

North Macedonia has introduced an annual construction plan for the energy projects with the new Law on Energy, adopted this year. The goal is to bring order to the approval and construction of new power plants.

According to the new regulation, October 1 was the deadline for investors to submit the documentation for their projects for the first annual plan. The review of all documents is in the final phase, according to Božinovska.

The construction of the power plants from the annual plan represents investments of around EUR 1.4 billion, Sanja Božinovska stressed, local media reported.

Solar power plants in the plan have the largest capacity – 812 MW, followed by wind farms  with 426 MW, biomass power plants with 11 MW, and hydropower plants with 15 MW.

Investors have submitted applications for the construction of energy facilities with a capacity of 10,950 MW

She recalled that for the first time, requests were received for the installation of standalone batteries and ones that would be co-located with power plants. The capacity of the standalone battery systems is 675 MW, and of the co-located is 93 MW, Božinovska added.

North Macedonia has received requests for the construction of energy facilities with a total capacity of 10,950 MW.

Investors submitted photovoltaic projects with a capacity of 4,758 MW and wind farms with a capacity of 1,697 MW. Investors were also interested in building gas-fired power plants.

Requests were also submitted for standalone battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a capacity of 2,573 MW and co-located with a capacity of 1,405 MW.

The annual plan should be adopted by January 31, 2026

Božinovska pointed out that 10,950 MW represents a large capacity. The transmission system operator (TSO) MEPSO will have to make a plan to strengthen the grid, she underlined.

The Government of North Macedonia should adopt the annual plan for the construction of energy facilities by January 31, 2026.

The minister recalled that the regulation for the construction of energy facilities has also been adopted. It precisely defines what every potential investor must submit, starting with a feasibility study, regardless of the type of facility, Bozinovska explained.

She said that the adoption of the law on renewable energy sources is expected in the first quarter of next year.