Skopje, 8 May 2023 (MIA) - North Macedonia has the capacity to install over a thousand megawatts (MW) in photovoltaic power plants, though the country does not have an evenly developed infrastructure so that energy can be received and distributed everywhere, said Minister of Economy Kreshnik Bekteshi in response to a reporter's question at press conference on Monday.

"In North Macedonia, an El Dorado of investments in photovoltaic power plants is currently happening, but in order for it to be a sustainable system, it needs to be dispersed or decentralized through different regions. Therefore, with USAID's support, the Ministry of Economy has prepared a final draft of the indicative plan, to establish control in locations where such power plants can be built," said Bekteshi.

Bekteshi stressed that there is great interest, potential investors, who have started the procedures, but called on all investors to understand that completing the process of urbanization or purchasing the land does not mean an authorization to build a solar power plant or of any other kind.

"Expectations are to exceed 300 MW by the end of the year, and we must refer to the Strategy for Energy Development, which states that the network in North Macedonia can receive around 1,000 MW to 1,200 MW from photovoltaic power plants only, but if wind farms are built in parallel, and especially capacity, which is to balance this electricity. The best capacity for balance would be Chebrene," Bekteshi added.

Bekteshi noted that according to studies made there are two to three such regions in all of North Macedonia, but they do not have the right infrastructure to receive the electricity or be included in the grid, considering that some of those capacities in certain towns or regions exceed over 6,000 MW.

"That is why all investors should carefully look at the opportunity to be connected, according to the possibilities of obtaining authorization, because according to the new Law of Energy, authorization over one megawatt is given by the Government and Ministry of Economy, in line with the indicative plan, which will be adopted in the next two weeks, as well as the Strategy for Energy Development," said Bekteshi. ssh/nn/