North Macedonia starts converting coal mines to solar

The Energy Community secretariat said on February 18 that North Macedonia has become the first contracting party to start to convert one of its coal mines to solar power plants, as part of its efforts to boost renewables and fight air pollution.

Last week, the authorities in North Macedonia called a tender for the construction of a solar PV plant on top of a coal mine site in Oslomej.

The government is seeking a private investor to construct two photovoltaic units of up to 100 MW, a project worth €80mn, the secretariat said.

The contract will be signed for 35 years, after which the ownership will be transferred to a public partner.

“With this project, North Macedonia shows an excellent example of how coal regions can be profitably transformed, providing new employment opportunities for former coal workers and driving sustainable regional development, ” the secretariat’s director Janez Kopac said in the statement