Bitola power station
| Part of the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
| Related categories: |
| Part of the Global Coal Plant Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
| Related coal trackers: |
Bitola power station (РЕК Битола) is an operating power station of at least 699-megawatts (MW) in Novaci, North Macedonia with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating. It is also known as TEC Bitola.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Bitola power station | Novaci, Novaci, North Macedonia | 41.05832, 21.484266 (exact)[1] |
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 1R, Unit 2, Unit 3: 41.05832, 21.484266
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year | Equipment | Emergency/Backup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Operating | coal: lignite[2] | 233 | subcritical | – | 1982 | 2030 (planned)[3][4][5] | – | no |
| Unit 1R, timepoint 1 | Pre-construction[6][7][8][9] | fossil gas: natural gas[7][8] | 200[10][11][12][8][7] | unknown | yes[7] | –[13] | – | not found | no |
| Unit 2 | Operating | coal: lignite[2] | 233 | subcritical | – | 1984 | 2030 (planned)[14][15] | – | no |
| Unit 3 | Operating | coal: lignite[2] | 233 | subcritical | – | 1988 | 2030 (planned)[14][15] | – | no |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | REK Bitola [100%][5] | Elektrani na Severna Makedonija AD [100.0%] |
| Unit 1R, timepoint 1 | REK Bitola [100%][7] | Elektrani na Severna Makedonija AD [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | REK Bitola [100%][5] | Elektrani na Severna Makedonija AD [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | REK Bitola [100%][5] | Elektrani na Severna Makedonija AD [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): domestic/imported
Background
The plant consists of three 233 MW units, commissioned between 1982 and 1988.
The plant accounts for as much as 70% of the country's electricity production. The plant is owned and operated by the state-owned ESM (Elektrani na Severna Makedonija).[16][17]
Bitola power station is part of the REK Bitola mining and energy complex, located 12 km east of the city of Bitola and about 15 km north of the Greek border. It uses coal from the Suvodol coal mine and Brod-Gneotino coal mine that are part of the complex.[18] However as of 2022, ESM had also been relying on imported coal due to poor quality and depleting reserves of the domestic mines.[19]
Bitola plant was said to double its sulphur dioxide and dust emissions in 2022 compared to 2021, while its operating hours were only about 20% higher, possibly related to the usage of different imported coal.[20]
Local news reported incidents at the plant in March 2024 and May 2024.[21][22] The May 2024 incident was described as an explosion resulting in an outage of all three units.[23][24] The plant's operations were restored several days later.[25] The maintenance of the plant has become more and more difficult and expensive.[25]
As of October 2024, before the start of the heating season, the plant did not have sufficient coal. Domestic coal was only sufficient to operate one unit and coal would have to continue to be imported to allow to run the other two units. Thus, in the upcoming months, at least until December, it was anticipated that the plant would operate two instead of three units, with imports from Greece continuing.[26]
No planned overhaul of Unit 1 was carried out in September 2024 as tenders for certain procedures had not been completed. The company planned to put Unit 1 in a cold reserve and operate during the heating season with only two units.[26]
The coal power plants produced 58% of the country's annual electricity consumption in 2024. Total annual electricity production in North Macedonia in 2024 was 6,129 GWh, 6.5% less than in 2023, accounting for 89% of total domestic electricity needs.[27]
In May 2025, North Macedonia's parliament adopted a new Energy Law aimed at developing energy infrastructure, including the construction of renewable energy facilities. In September 2025, it also amended the Energy Efficiency Law to establish minimum energy efficiency standards for buildings.[27]
Coal phase out
In October 2020, ESM said the first unit of the coal power plant would be switched to natural gas within five years. Gas would be supplied from a planned pipeline, as part of a strategy to abandon lignite use altogether in the country. ESM was investing in the modernization of the power plant's remaining two units so that they could work for ten more years. New solar plants would be built to bridge the power gap as Unit 1 was transitioned from coal to gas.[28]
In 2021, North Macedonia was planning to shut down its thermal coal plants by 2027/2028.[29] The final NECP confirmed the plan to decommission Bitola by 2027, with a possibility of delay by one or two years (i.e. by the end of 2029).[30][31]
In April 2022, ESM announced that they would be developing 280 MW of solar capacity near the Bitola thermal power plant.[32]
In July 2022, a representative from ESM in a video conference stated that the power station would be converted to gas in two phases. In Phase I, Unit 1 would be converted to gas by 2026.[33] In Phase II, Unit 2 would be converted to gas and Unit 3 would be replaced with solar energy generation.[33]
Despite the plans to phase out coal, in November 2023 it was announced that Bitola would build a pipeline to supply centralized district heating (from the existing coal-fired units) to the town of Bitola, which currently relies on old and inefficient fossil fuels and wood. The system was planned to be put into operation during the heating season 2025/2026. The first phase of the project to bring the pipeline to the city was realized with a EUR 40 million loan from Germany's KFW Bank (signed in 2015), as well as an additional EUR 7 million of ESM's own funds.[30]
In December 2023, the Minister of Economy said North Macedonia would phase out coal power in 2030.[34][35][36] According to reporting from September 2024, North Macedonia's new center-right government signalled that they aimed to delay the coal phase out until 2050, and wanted increased financial and technical support from the European Union and the US to accelerate its energy transition.[36] However there was no official news to confirm this delayed schedule.
As of May 2025, with no news on the retirement of coal-fired Unit 1 in 2026, its planned retirement date was revised to 2030.
In April 2025, ESM director Lazo Uzunčev stated that the 2030 closure deadline was embedded as a condition in a EUR 100 million EBRD liquidity loan taken out by previous ESM management. He added that the plant would operate as long as possible before being decommissioned and converted to an emergency standby facility.[37]
ESM stated that a postponement of the 2030 closure deadline was necessary until new capacities were built, and that any extension would require detailed analyses covering electricity system stability, pace of new capacity construction, financial implications, and obligations arising from international agreements. The company was accelerating work on around 20 projects as part of its green energy transition, including four solar power plants expected to begin generating power in 2026 and adding 200 MW of solar capacity.[37]
Construction of the North Macedonia–Greece gas interconnector began on 9 July 2025, with an estimated project duration of 22 months. The interconnector had been cited as a precondition for the gas conversion of Unit 1 at Bitola.[27]
Unit 1 replacement with 250 MW gas unit
In November 2023, Prime Minister Dimitar Kovachevski mentioned that ESM and the government were in communication with one of the largest U.S. companies for manufacturing and mounting of gas-fired facilities for electricity production.[38] For this purpose, the gas link from Zhidilovo to Bitola was completed in 2023, since this is the only entry point in the country. Construction of the gas pipeline with Greece was said to begin by the end of 2023, thus ensuring an additional gas source. Considering the existing infrastructure, transformer stations and a complete network at REK Bitola, there will be no problem to transition to gas, according to the Prime Minister.[38]
However, a Bankwatch report from December 2023 was critical of the proposal to build a gas unit as it would extend the reliance on fossil fuels. Even though the claims by the Government in November 2023 confirmed the plan for a new gas cogeneration unit[39] (possibly also able to operate on hydrogen in the future), the project had no feasibility study, no environmental impact assessment and no financing, just two years prior to the planned starting date to replace the coal unit in 2026.[30]
In January 2024, the Government of North Macedonia initiated the process of development of the projects for Bitola and Negotino power plants that would run on gas and hydrogen. The cabinet approved a report presented by the Ministry of Economy highlighting the need to initiate projects for the Negotino regional power plant with a capacity of 800 MW, and the Bitola power plant of 250-300 MW. State-owned power company Elektrani na Severna Makedonija was tasked with starting negotiations with a potential strategic partner on potential cooperation on the two planned investments.[40] As of November 2024, there was no outcome on the cooperation with an investor yet. Elektrani na Severna Makedonija had signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Azerbaijani state oil and gas company SOCAR and the company started receiving gas from Azerbaijan.[41]
In November 2024, the European Commission published the "RGF Indicative List of Investment Projects" as part of the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans (RGF), a new financing instrument for 2024-2027. According to the document, construction of the new 250 MW combined-cycle gas turbine power plant in Bitola on hydrogen/gas was expected to begin in 2024, with completion planned in 2030. The total investment cost was estimated at EUR 300-400 million.[42]
In February 2025, Minister of Energy, Mining, and Mineral Resources Sanja Božinovska mentioned in an interview that a 200-MW cogeneration facility would be installed in Bitola to substitute one unit of the coal-fired power plant. No additional details were provided.[43]
In July 2025, the government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Turkish company Kazanci Holding for the development of a domestic gas distribution network and the construction of an unspecified number of gas-fired power plants to reach a total capacity of 500 MW.[27]
Replacement of Unit 3 with solar power
In 2025, Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM) advanced plans to replace generation associated with Unit 3 of the Bitola power complex through the development of a large-scale solar photovoltaic project. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development approved consideration of a sovereign-guaranteed loan of up to EUR 37 million to ESM for the construction of the Bitola 3 solar power plant, a 134 MWdc photovoltaic facility planned on the site of the exhausted Bitola coal mine. The total estimated cost of the project was EUR 87 million, with co-financing expected from a EUR 50 million sovereign-guaranteed loan from KfW.[44]
In 2025, ESM signed loan agreements totaling EUR 87 million for the construction of Bitola 3: EUR 50 million from KfW and EUR 37 million from the EBRD. The agreements were signed by the Minister of Finance, EBRD and KfW representatives, and ESM CEO Lazo Uzunčev, in the presence of Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski. According to ESM CEO Uzunčev, together with other ongoing solar and wind projects, Bitola 3 would increase domestic renewable capacity by over 200 MW within two to three years, reducing CO₂ emissions by more than 260,000 tonnes annually.[45]
ESM was also developing a battery energy storage project with the EBRD with a capacity of up to 300 MWh, to be located within the REK Bitola complex and serve as a systemic solution for all solar power plants at the site.[46]
Just Energy Transition Program proposal
According to reporting from November 2023, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank were planning to propose a €3 billion (US$3.26 billion) Just Energy Transition Investment Program (JET-P) to fund the replacement of Bitola power station and Oslomej power station with 1,700 MW of renewable projects.[47] The plan was presented at the COP28 in December 2023.[48]
The Trade Union of Workers in Industry, Energy, and Mining estimated that the livelihoods of up to 9,000 people would be directly affected by the closure of REK Bitola and REK Oslomej. Union president Igor Gerasov stated that meetings with ESM produced no concrete proposals regarding workers' future employment.[49]
In November 2025, ESM Board member and CFO Ivan Stojanovski estimated that the company would require approximately EUR 3 billion by 2040 to replace electricity from its lignite-fired power plants. He broke down the estimated investment needs as follows: EUR 1–1.3 billion for solar, wind and batteries; EUR 500–700 million for gas power plants; and EUR 1–1.3 billion for large hydropower projects including Čebren and the Vardar Valley cascade. ESM planned to finance these investments through a blended model combining own funds, state guarantees, and loans from international financial institutions including the EBRD, KfW, the World Bank, Italy's Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, and Agence Française de Développement.[46]
Financing
- The first phase of the district heating pipeline project was financed through a EUR 40 million loan from Germany's KfW Bank (signed in 2015) and EUR 7 million of ESM's own funds.[30]
- The Bitola 3 solar power plant (134 MWdc) is expected to be financed through a sovereign-guaranteed loan of up to EUR 37 million from the EBRD and a EUR 50 million sovereign-guaranteed loan from KfW, with a total estimated cost of EUR 87 million.[50]
- The new 250 MW combined-cycle gas turbine power plant has an estimated total investment cost of EUR 300-400 million, listed in the European Commission's RGF Indicative List of Investment Projects (November 2024).[51]
- ESM estimated total investment needs of approximately EUR 3 billion by 2040 to replace coal-fired generation, to be financed through a blended model of own funds, state guarantees, and loans from the EBRD, KfW, the World Bank, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, and Agence Française de Développement.[52]
Environmental impact
In a report from June 2025, CEE Bankwatch revealed that Bitola Units 1 and 2 had released more than 11 times the allowable limit of sulfur dioxide (SO2) in 2024, under the National Emissions Reduction Plans of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia. Unit 3 had released more than 9 times the limit of SO2 in 2024.[53][54]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B003'30.0%22N+21%C2%B029'03.4%22E/@41.058324,21.4751197,15z/data=!4m4!3m3!8m2!3d41.05832!4d21.484266?entry=ttu.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://www.gem.wiki/Coal_source_methodology_for_the_Global_Coal_Plant_Tracker.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240218215504/https://bankwatch.org/blog/bitola-s-heating-future-a-pipeline-to-nowhere-or-solar-solutions. Archived from the original on 2024-02-18.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ (PDF) https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/document/download/f6be416e-12bc-494d-b92a-71c8d0c51e47_en?filename=6.2.%20ANNEX%20VI%20-%20Reform%20Agenda%20North%20Macedonia%20-%20annex%202.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125153941/https://www.esm.com.mk/?page_id=315. Archived from the original on 2024-01-25.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240108212517/https://mia.mk/en/story/negotiations-over-transformation-of-rek-bitola-into-gasfired-power-station-pm. Archived from the original on 2024-01-08.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 https://web.archive.org/web/20221004055313/https://serbia-energy.eu/north-macedonia-esm-to-replace-gas-capacity-for-tpp-bitola-unit-1/. Archived from the original on 2022-10-04.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 https://balkangreenenergynews.com/north-macedonia-looking-for-strategic-investor-for-two-gas-hydrogen-fuelled-power-plants/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20230318035904/https://balkangreenenergynews.com/esm-is-developing-power-plant-projects-with-total-capacity-of-1-8-gw/. Archived from the original on 2023-03-18.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://balkangreenenergynews.com/bozinovska-new-ministrys-vision-for-north-macedonias-energy-sector-auctions-by-end-of-2025/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220709015943/https://www.enerdata.net/publications/daily-energy-news/north-macedonia-will-invest-several-renewable-power-projects.html. Archived from the original on 2022-07-09.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220709040035/http://balkanenergy.com/Replacement_gas_capacity_for_TPP_Bitola_unit_1_to_be_built_by_2024_27_January_2021/. Archived from the original on 2022-07-09.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20210728064536/https://www.energetika.net/eu/novice/trading/unit-1-of-macedonian-bitola-tpp-to-be-converted-to-gas-by-20. Archived from the original on 2021-07-28.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 14.0 14.1 https://balkangreenenergynews.com/mexhiti-hints-at-delaying-north-macedonias-coal-exit-deadline-until-2050/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 15.0 15.1 https://balkangreenenergynews.com/north-macedonia-presents-just-energy-transition-platform-worth-eur-3-billion/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ Government orders that ELEM is renamed into "Power Plants of North Macedonia" – ESM, Republika, March 19, 2019
- ↑ "Coal-Fired Plants in Kosovo & Macedonia," Industcards, accessed April 2016
- ↑ "TPP Bitola". www.esm.com.mk. unknown.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ЕСМ ќе купува уште 950 илјади тони јаглен, тендерите отвори до крајот на овој месец". telma.com.mk. August 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Pollution from Western Balkan coal power plants surged in 2022". www.intellinews.com. June 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "РЕК Битола од ноќеска не произведува струја, пукнала цевка во блокот што бил приклучен во мрежа". www.youtube.com. March 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Дефект на Блок 2 на РЕК Битола, комбинатот со часови воопшто не произведува струја". telma.com.mk. May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Експлозија во РЕК Битола, вторпат во два месеци комплетно надвор од мрежа, вели ВМРО-ДПМНЕ". /www.youtube.com. May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "РЕК Битола: Денеска ќе биде пуштен во употреба еден блок". 24.mk. 31 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 25.0 25.1 "РЕК Битола е вратен на мрежа, доцна синоќа е саниран дефектот на еден од блоковите". /24.mk. June 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 26.0 26.1 "ПРЕД ГРЕЈНАТА СЕЗОНА РЕК „БИТОЛА" НЕМА ДОВОЛНО ЈАГЛЕН, УВОЗОТ ЌЕ ПРОДОЛЖИ, А СЕ ПРАВАТ ПЛАНОВИ ЗА РЕОРГАНИЗАЦИЈА НА РАБОТАТА ВО РУДНИЦИТЕ". /sdk.mk/i. October 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 "North Macedonia – Energy". trade.gov. February 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "North Macedonia to shut REK Bitola coal plant unit in five years, turn to gas". Balkan Green Energy News. 2020-10-20. Retrieved 2020-10-21.
- ↑ "Montenegro announces coal phaseout by 2035". /balkangreenenergynews.com. July 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 30.3 "Bitola's heating future: a pipeline to nowhere or solar solutions?". bankwatch.org/. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "NATIONAL ENERGY AND CLIMATE PLAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA" (PDF). www.economy.gov.mk. January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "N. Macedonia's ESM to build four PV plants of total 280 MW near Bitola TPP," Renewables Now, April 12, 2022
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 "(ВИДЕО) ЕНЕРГЕТСКА ТРАНЗИЦИЈА НА РЕК БИТОЛА," ESM, July 8, 2022
- ↑ "European countries delay coal phase-outs and gamble on fossil gas amidst push for decarbonised power," Beyond Fossil Fuels, December 7, 2023
- ↑ "North Macedonia presents just energy transition platform worth EUR 3 billion". balkangreenenergynews.com/. December 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 36.0 36.1 "Mexhiti hints at delaying North Macedonia's coal exit deadline until 2050," Balkan Green Energy News, September 13, 2024
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 "Green with Uncertainty in North Macedonia". tol.org. 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 38.0 38.1 "Negotiations over transformation of REK Bitola into gas-fired power station: PM". МИА. November 3, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Ковачевски: По 40-годишни очекувања, Битола добива парно греење – градиме енергетски независна држава, регионален лидер во енергетска транзиција". vlada.mk. November 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "North Macedonia looking for strategic investor for two gas-hydrogen-fuelled power plants". balkangreenenergynews.com. January 11, 2024. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Mickoski: Investor interested in building cogeneration facility in North Macedonia". balkangreenenergynews.com/. November 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "RGF indicative list of investment projects" (PDF). European Commission. November 6, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Božinovska: New ministry's vision for North Macedonia's energy sector, auctions by end of 2025". Balkan Green Energy News. February 10, 2025. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ESM SPP Bitola 3". ebrd.com. Retrieved Dec 16, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "North Macedonia's ESM secures loans for investments in solar, hydro". balkangreenenergynews.com. 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 46.0 46.1 "North Macedonia's ESM needs investments of EUR 3 billion to replace coal power". balkangreenenergynews.com. November 3, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Exclusive: EBRD backs 3 bln euro plan to wean North Macedonia off coal power," Reuters, November 17, 2023
- ↑ "North Macedonia presents just energy transition platform worth EUR 3 billion". balkangreenenergynews.com. 5 December 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Green with Uncertainty in North Macedonia". tol.org. 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ESM SPP Bitola 3". ebrd.com. Retrieved Dec 16, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "RGF indicative list of investment projects" (PDF). European Commission. November 6, 2024. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "North Macedonia's ESM needs investments of EUR 3 billion to replace coal power". balkangreenenergynews.com. November 3, 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Western Balkan governments still complicit in deadly coal pollution – new report," CEE Bankwatch, June 17, 2025
- ↑ "Comply or Close: Seven years of deadly legal breaches by Western Balkan coal plants," CEE Bankwatch, June 2025
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
