Gusterica Coal Mine
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Gusterica Coal Mine (Осломеј) is a shelved coal mine in Zhubrino, Oslomej, North Macedonia.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Mine Name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Gusterica Coal Mine | Zhubrino, Oslomej, North Macedonia | 41.582133, 21.000288 (approximate) |
The map below shows the approximate location of the coal mine:
Project Details
Table 2: Project status
| Status | Status Detail | Project Type | Opening Year | Closing Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelved[1] | Pre-Permit[2][3] | Expansion | – | – |
Table 3: Operation details
| Capacity (Mtpa) | Production (Mtpa) | Year of Production | Mine Type | Mining Method | Mine Size (km2) | Mine Depth (m) | Workforce Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | Surface | Open Pit | – | 50* | – |
Table 4: Coal resources and destination
| Total Reserves (Mt) | Year of Total Reserves Recorded | Total Resources (Mt) | Coalfield | Coal Type | Coal Grade | Primary Consumer/ Destination |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | Lignite | Thermal | Coal Plant |
Table 5: Ownership and parent company
| Owner | Parent Company | Headquarters |
|---|---|---|
| ESM [100.0%] | Elektrani na Severna Makedonija AD | North Macedonia |
Note: The above sections were automatically generated and are based on data from the Global Coal Mine Tracker August 2026 release.
Ownership Tree
This ownership tree is part of the Global Energy Ownership Tracker, a project of Global Energy Monitor.
Background
Oslomej Coal Mine is surface operation in Oslomej, North Macedonia.
The mine provides power to the Oslomej power station. The coal mine and the 125 MW plant was commissioned in 1980. It is owned and operated by North Macedonian state-owned electric company Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM), and fueled by domestic lignite from the Oslomej Coal Mine.[4]
In April 2022, the 10 MW solar plant began test operations at the site.[5] Though the solar generation was developed with the intention of replacing the coal plant, the Oslomej thermal plant had continued operations after the initial target retirement.[6]
Oslomej Coal mine did not produce any coal in 2022 and 2023, except for small quantities excavated in the 'OId mine' ('Star rudnik') part of East-Oslomej.[7][8] The power plant had to procure 0.3 million tonnes of external coal in 2023 to maintain operations.[8]
In 2024, coal production at the Oslomej coal mine amounted to 0.14 million tonnes, primarily from remaining eastern sections of the deposit.[9]
Expansion Project
As per 2024 news, ESM was considering to open a new lignite mine near Oslomej at a location called Gusterica and in March 2024 awarded a tender to prepare a Study on the justification of the concession for the exploitation of coal.[10][11] ESM's new management, appointed in August 2024, subsequently stated that neither ESM nor the government planned any investment in new coal mines, describing the Gusterica study as preliminary analysis conducted by the previous local management of TPP Oslomej, and confirmed ESM's commitment to the green energy transition.[12] Environmental group CEE Bankwatch expressed scepticism about ESM's assurances, noting that the company was simultaneously advancing the Zivojno coal mine project near Bitola, which Bankwatch argued contradicted ESM's stated decarbonisation commitments.[12]
Coal Phase-out Date
As of December 2021, North Macedonia was planning to phase out coal by 2027, decommissioning Oslomej TPP in 2021 and REK Bitola by 2027. This was only in planning, according to their draft National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP), although it was also submitted through their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) submitted under the Paris Agreement in 2021 (page 7, point d).[13] The decommissioning of Oslomej did not happen in 2021.
In January 2022, the coal phase-out was delayed until 2030 due to concerns over energy security.[6]
In late 2025, a public consultation was held on an updated NECP. The draft document did not specify a clear coal phase-out date, though the scenarios underpinning it were based on 2030.[14] In 2025, the Climate Investment Funds approved US $85 million to support North Macedonia's coal phase-out and transition to clean energy, as part of the Just Energy Transition Investment Platform launched at COP28.[15]
References
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20260630064632/https://bankwatch.org/blog/black-wool-over-the-ebrd-s-eyes. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20260701063742/https://www.slobodnaevropa.mk/a/jaglen-fotovoltaici-rudnici-struja-/33283388.html. Archived from the original on 01 July 2026.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://e-nabavki.gov.mk/PublicAccess/home.aspx#/dossie-acpp/2a0d0f91-5a58-4204-a696-70c6d848cbe6.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "TPP Oslomej," ELEM, accessed December 2019
- ↑ "N. Macedonia starts test run of Oslomej PV plant," Renewables Now, April 6, 2022
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Balkans turns to coal as energy crisis trumps climate commitments," Reuters, April 19, 2022
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedautoref_7 - ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs named:0 - ↑ "Годишен извештај 2024" (PDF). AD ESM. April 2025. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ИЗВЕСТУВАЊЕ ЗА СКЛУЧЕН ДОГОВОР ЗА ЈАВНА НАБАВКА". /e-nabavki.gov.mk. March 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Енергетска транзиција со нови рудници за јаглен и фотоволтаици на плодна земја". /www.slobodnaevropa.mk/. January 2025.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Black wool over the EBRD's eyes". bankwatch.org. May 13, 2025. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution," Submission by the Republic of North Macedonia, 2021
- ↑ "The energy sector in North Macedonia". bankwatch.org. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "CIF Approves $85 Million to Launch North Macedonia Coal Phase-Out". cif.org. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Articles and Resources
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of world coal mines, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Mine Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
