N. Macedonia to close Bitola, Oslomej coal-fired power plants by 2030 - report

North Macedonia plans to close down coal-fired power plants REK Bitola and TEC Oslomej by 2030 as part of its strategy to switch to renewable energy sources, local media reported.

The country will back investments in solar power plants and wind farms, and sees the future Cebren hydro power plant as an important contributor to the country's energy independence, Sloboden Pechat daily quoted environment minister Naser Nuredini as saying on Thursday.

North Macedonia generates some 65% of its total energy output from coal at REK Bitola and TEC Oslomej, Nuredini said.

North Macedonia has another thermal power plant, TEC Negotino, which was recently restarted to meet rising demand for energy, after staying dormant for 12 years. TEC Negotino runs on fuel oil. In 2020, the government said it was considering converting TEC Negotino to a natural gas-fired power plant through a public-private partnership or selling the existing facility.

The Cebren HPP, to be built on the Crna Reka river under a public-private partnership agreement, will have an installed capacity of 333 MW allowing it to produce 1,000 GWh of electricity per year. The government is currently in the process of selecting a concessionaire for the construction of the power plant.

The government has also announced plans to build solar parks at REK Bitola and TEC Oslomej.

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