Renewables

Water reservoirs, solar power plants are great match – PV facility installed on Streževo dam in North Macedonia

hidrosistem strezevo north macedonia dam

Photo: Metodije Gramatkovski/Facebook

Published

October 23, 2023

Country

Comments

comments icon

0

Share

Published:

October 23, 2023

Country:

Comments:

comments icon

0

Share

State-owned water management utility Hidrosistem Streževo has installed a 500 kW photovoltaic power plant on its Streževo dam. Reservoir dams and land near such lakes are becoming increasingly popular for installing solar power plants in the region. However, the investment in North Macedonia is unique because PV plants have been installed on the dams of the hydropower plants or nearby land, not on the dams and nearby land of the lakes used for irrigation and water supply.

JP Hidrosistem Streževo manages the reservoir created by the construction of the Streževo dam. The company provides water for irrigation for one part of the Pelagonija region, water supply for parts of the nearby city of Bitola, where it is based, and its industry and flood protection for this part of North Macedonia. The hydro system is also used for the production of electricity.

The firm operates five small hydropower plants (SHPPs) with a total capacity of 3,710 kW, with annual production of 12 GWh. The 500 kW solar power plant is set to increase the firm’s electricity output by about 700 MWh.

Hidrosistem Streževo CEO Metodije Gramatkovski said it is the first public company in North Macedonia that has built a photovoltaic power plant with its funds. It invested MKD 30,000,000 (about EUR 487,000) in the PV facility.

Gramatkovski: We use water resources rationally, efficiently and for multiple purposes

He stressed that the firm uses water resources rationally, efficiently, and for multiple purposes: irrigation and energy production.

It is Hidrosistem Streževo’s first photovoltaic power plant. Still, there is a possibility to build a second one as the firm has obtained the construction permit for a capacity of up to 1 MW, Gramatkovski said.

The investment will increase income and contribute to the country’s goal to increase the use of clean energy.

JP Hidrosistem Streževo intends to sell electricity on the market, Gramatkovski said and added that he expects the investment would pay off in the short term.

More and more PV plants are installed near water reservoirs

Reservoir dams and land near artificial lakes are becoming increasingly popular for installing PV facilities.

It is a good combination because such land often cannot be used for anything else, while it is well equipped with infrastructure. Moreover, the solution enables the integration of solar parks and hydroelectric units into hybrid power plants.

Elsewhere in Southeastern Europe, projects are finished or being developed by Elektroprivreda Republike Srpske (ERS) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dravske Elektrarne Maribor (DEM), and Hidroelektrarne na Spodnji Savi (HESS) in Slovenia, KESH in Albania, Hidroelectrica in Romania, and Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) in Serbia, while some projects have already been completed in Turkey.

Comments (0)

Be the first one to comment on this article.

Enter Your Comment
Please wait... Please fill in the required fields. There seems to be an error, please refresh the page and try again. Your comment has been sent.

Related Articles

bih republic of srpska hydropower plants bistrica tunnels petar djokic

Three hydropower plants on Bistrica river to be finished by end-2026

18 April 2025 - Chinese company AVIC is in charge of building the three hydropower plants on the Bistrica, with a total capacity of 39 MW

albania france kesh afd drin hydropower energy storage

Albania’s KESH, France’s AFD sign MoU on hydropower management, energy storage 

18 April 2025 - KESH and Agence Française de Développement have signed an MoU on the Drin cascade management and advanced energy storage planning

bih federation ephzhb court poklecani urban permit arhaus

Supreme Court of Federation of BiH annulls urban permit for Poklečani wind farm

17 April 2025 - The project is being developed by Elektroprivreda HZHB, one of the three state-owned power utilities in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Minister Admir Sahmanović formally assumes energy, mining portfolio in Montenegro

Minister Admir Šahmanović formally assumes energy, mining portfolio in Montenegro

17 April 2025 - Minister of Energy and Mining of Montenegro Admir Šahmanović was formally voted in as the two ministries that he ran were merged