Prime Minister Zoran Zaev has said that North Macedonia is setting an example for other countries in the Western Balkans and Southeast Europe by making the first transition of a coal-fired power plant to a photovoltaic (PV) plant.

At coal-mining and power complex Oslomej, private investors are developing two 50 MW solar power projects, while state-owned power utility Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM) will install two 10 MW solar facilities there, first of which will be completed by the end of October, Zaev said at the Macedonian Energy Forum 2021.

A similar claim to regional leadership was heard recently, when Zaev’s Albanian counterpart, Prime Minister Edi Rama said that his country’s ambition is to become a regional champion in renewable energy production by 2030. Two large solar power plants that Voltalia is about to build will take Albania to the forefront of the Balkans in the PV sector, according to Rama.

1.5 GW of solar power projects in North Macedonia are planned or already being discussed

In North Macedonia, a total of 1.5 GW of solar power projects are planned or already being discussed with the government, while some of the documentation is ready for over 550 MW of wind farms, Zaev said, adding that he hopes a large part of these projects will be successfully realized.

Zaev: Greece’s Mytilineos is among those interested in investing in large energy facilities

Several investors have expressed interest in investing in large energy facilities in North Macedonia, including Greece’s Mytilineos and France’s Akuo Energy, while others have already submitted official projects, such as wpd from Germany for a 415 MW wind farm and EFT Group from Serbia for an 80 MW solar power plant, according to him. These projects are worth hundreds of millions of euros, Zaev said.

Zaev also noted that a law on strategic investments has been passed to encourage large investors to develop projects in North Macedonia.