The first large-scale solar plant in North Macedonia, financed with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and bilateral donors to the Western Balkans Investment Framework, has been connected to the power grid and is producing clean electricity. The 10MW solar plant, built on the site of the spent Oslomej lignite coal mine, was constructed by JSC Elektrani na Severna Makedonija, the country’s state-owned electricity company. This is the company’s first solar plant in North Macedonia, developed with a view to diversifying energy sources and supporting decarbonisation. It is expected to produce nearly 15 GWh of electricity and displace 12,177 tonnes of CO2 annually.The EBRD supported this investment with a €5.9 million loan, while bilateral donors to the WBIF provided an additional €1.6 million investment grant. The total project costs were €8.7 million.The new solar plant has a tenth of the capacity of the old coal-fired plant, so the EBRD is working with ESM on investing in additional solar power plants. The Bank also approved financing for an extension of the plant in Oslomej and the construction of a new plant in Bitola for a combined total capacity of 30MW. The European Union (EU) is also supporting this investment with a €5.1 million investment grant.
The first large-scale solar plant in North Macedonia, financed with the support of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and bilateral donors to the Western Balkans Investment Framework, has been connected to the power grid and is producing clean electricity. The 10MW solar plant, built on the site of the spent Oslomej lignite coal mine, was constructed by JSC Elektrani na Severna Makedonija, the country’s state-owned electricity company. This is the company’s first solar plant in North Macedonia, developed with a view to diversifying energy sources and supporting decarbonisation. It is expected to produce nearly 15 GWh of electricity and displace 12,177 tonnes of CO2 annually.The EBRD supported this investment with a €5.9 million loan, while bilateral donors to the WBIF provided an additional €1.6 million investment grant. The total project costs were €8.7 million.The new solar plant has a tenth of the capacity of the old coal-fired plant, so the EBRD is working with ESM on investing in additional solar power plants. The Bank also approved financing for an extension of the plant in Oslomej and the construction of a new plant in Bitola for a combined total capacity of 30MW. The European Union (EU) is also supporting this investment with a €5.1 million investment grant.
