Skopje, 2 June 2025 (MIA) - Power Plants of North Macedonia (ESM) Director-General Lazo Uzunchev said Monday he did not expect a change in the price at which the company sold electricity to universal supplier EVN Home.

"We have managed to reduce the production price by seven percent without using the hydro potentials. We were not able to use this potential because the former ESM leadership used the hydro potential massively, leading to only it being at nine percent in September 2024, although the usual quantities amount to about 50 percent at the start of October, prior to the start of the heating season. The hydro potential at the start of 2025 was at six percent and it now stands at 48 percent. We aim to reach 50 percent by the onset of October, namely about 300 GWh," Uzunchev told reporters.

He added that the ESN production plan was realized at 35 percent in the first quarter, is within projections in the second quarter, while adding that the plan would be exceeded in the third and fourth quarters, so that 2025 is a profitable year, "even by a cent".

In 2024, ESM posted a loss of EUR 123 million, while in 2023 it had an EUR 3 million profit, which Uzunchev said was owed to government subsidies.

ESM is currently selling electricity to the universal supplier at EUR 62 per MWh and that is the reason why subsidies are not provided.

Macedonian Electricity Transmission System Operator (MEPSO) Director-General Burim Ljatifi and National Electricity Market Operator (MEMO) Director-General Zoran Gjorgjievski also confirmed their companies would not seek for electricity price increase.

Photo: MIA