North Macedonia’s state-owned utility ESM has selected POWERCHINA Jiangxi Electric Power Construction to deliver two photovoltaic plants with a combined capacity of 30 MW. The projects are designed to advance the conversion of sites linked to the country’s coal industry toward renewable generation.
Bitola and Oslomej photovoltaic plants
The larger installation will have 20 MW of capacity and will be built near the Bitola thermal power complex in southern North Macedonia. The contract value for the Bitola project is €15.65 million. A second plant will be developed at Oslomej with 10 MW, using land previously associated with coal mining. That contract is worth €12 million, bringing the total value of the two awards to €27.65 million.
The agreements were signed in late June, according to contract-award information cited from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. POWERCHINA Jiangxi Electric Power Construction will handle construction and operation for both facilities. Completion is scheduled by 13 August 2027.
Emissions impact and wider EBRD-backed programme
After both plants begin operating, they are expected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 33,000 tonnes annually. The EBRD is supporting the broader programme through a €25 million loan approved in 2021.
Oslomej is already hosting ESM’s first 10 MW solar plant, which entered trial operation in 2022. ESM has also outlined plans for an additional 100 MW of photovoltaic capacity at the site.
Private development at former Oslomej mine site
The government has also signed agreements in 2021 with Bulgaria’s Solarpro Holding and Turkey’s Fortis Energy Electric. Those agreements cover a further 100 MW of solar development at the former Oslomej mine. The newly awarded projects are part of a wider repurposing effort rather than standalone installations.
Oslomej, in particular, is moving from a coal-production site toward a mixed portfolio that includes state-backed and privately developed photovoltaic assets. In parallel, Bitola is starting a similar diversification process alongside its existing thermal infrastructure.
