In the first quarter of this year, North Macedonian state-owned power utility ESM will launch a 60 MW solar tender, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced.
PM Zaev said that the tendered project is expected to cost around 35 million euros, without providing any further details. However, he said that around 62.5 MW of the three solar plants totaling 110 MW tendered in 2020 are already connected to the network. These plants are located on depleted coalmine near thermal power plant Oslomej. He added that a 10 MW solar power plant on that location, built by Turkish company Girisim Elektrik, is already operational.
In early 2020, the Government launched another tender for granting a concession for the construction of 100 MW solar power plant in Oslomej. The project envisages the construction of 2 power plants with 50 MW output each in public-private partnership with state-owned power utility ESM, worth some 80 million euros. The agreement will have a duration of 35 years, during which the private investor will pay ESM an annual fee to ESM equal to 10 % of the revenues from the sale of electricity produced by the plant, at market prices. All funds for the construction should be provided by the private partner, while ESM will participate with the land on which the solar parks will be built. After the 35-year term, the ownership of the solar parks will be transferred to ESM.
