Domestic energy experts have warned North Macedonia’s authorities against selling additional state energy capacities, after the announcement that TPP “Bitola” is about to be sold, local media reported.
According to experts this will make “citizens pay five times more for electricity, put future generations in debt and leave the country without its own electricity production. If a sale takes place, even just a part of TT "Bitola", in that case the energy stability of North Macedonia will be seriously disturbed. The energy crisis was enough of a signal to show that investments in the energy sector are needed, as opposed to the sale of power plants, experts point out.
“All the important electric energy capacities that this country has, must remain state-owned. Every sale, from the first to the third block or every sale of the hydropower plants, is an undermining of the energy independence and the energy sovereignty of this country. One of the main pillars of a state is energy sovereignty, if you undermine it - you don't have a state,” energy expert Atanasko Tunevski told local media.
A month ago, news leaked to the public that the government is selling the MEPSO power transmission system to a Greek company with Chinese capital, something which authorities haven’t yet confirmed.
“In the meantime, the Government is considering selling the compressed gas plant with a capacity of 40 megawatts, which is located near the "Zhelezara" factory, to the Greeks, and before that the "Chebren" hydropower plant, which is a strategic project weighing one billion euros, was also given o the Greeks,” energy expert Konstantin Dimitrov said in a statement for local newspaper “Vecher”.
According to him, giving it under a concession, the country won’t receive electricity from HPPs “Chebren” and "Tikvesh", and it’ll be the same as buying it on the stock exchange from anywhere else.
Experts believe that the country loses more than it gains by giving HPP “Tikvesh”pledge for the state's share in the “Chebren” energy project, and it “would be better to find money to build this hydropower plant itself”.
