North Macedonian state-owned power utility ESM plans to close unit 1 of coal-fired thermal power plant Bitola by 2024 and replace it with 250 MW gas-fired cogeneration unit, which will also supply thermal energy to the city of Bitola, said General Director of ESM Vasko Kovacevski.
Kovacevski said that the two remaining units of TPP Bitola will be modernized through the reconstruction of electrostatic filters by 2023 and the installation of desulfurization facility by 2026, thus extending their operational life and complying with the EU environmental standards.
He reminded that ESM will permanently close its TPP Oslomej and build a solar power plant with an installed capacity of 100 MW on the site of the plant, a project which is already under construction. The state also plans to convert TPP Negotino (which runs on fuel oil and is not operated by ESM) to natural gas.
Regarding wind projects, Kovacevski said that the capacity of the existing Bogdanci wind farm will be increased, while the project for the construction of Miravci wind farm is in preparation.
