OKTA refinery restart assessment
North Macedonia is examining whether crude-oil refining could resume at the OKTA refinery near Skopje, more than a decade after the facility stopped processing crude. The site shifted to fuel trading, storage and logistics after refining ended. The government has asked OKTA, which is owned by Greek energy group Helleniq Energy, to evaluate the technical and commercial feasibility of restarting refinery operations.
A restart could enable domestic production of diesel and other petroleum products, reducing reliance on imports. Any surplus output could be sold into neighbouring markets, including Kosovo and southern Serbia. The proposal remains at an early evaluation stage as the assessment proceeds.
Pipeline restoration and fuel logistics
The refinery review follows the reopening earlier in 2026 of a petroleum-products pipeline linking the Skopje area with infrastructure at the Greek port of Thessaloniki after around 13 years of inactivity. The restored connection improves fuel logistics between Greece and North Macedonia. However, the pipeline reopening does not itself determine whether crude processing at OKTA can be commercially viable.
Restarting refinery operations would require a separate investment decision. That decision would include a technical assessment of existing equipment and the capital needed to return production units to service. The government’s request focuses on feasibility rather than committing to a restart.
Current role of OKTA in product supply
OKTA remains North Macedonia’s principal fuel supplier even though refining ended in 2013. Since then, its business has focused on importing, storing and distributing finished petroleum products. The outcome of any potential restart would depend on the condition of the refinery and the required investment.
Operating costs and the ability of a restarted plant to compete with imported products from larger regional refineries are also expected to factor into any final decision.
