Skopje, 11 January 2023 (MIA) – The issue of air pollution is not a matter that can be resolved in a year because it has been actively happening for 50-70 years. The biggest reason for high pollution rates in all major cities is heating with solid fuels such as wood and other materials that contribute to pollution. What the state is doing, and what the municipalities are doing is working towards the state’s energy transformation, PM Dimitar Kovachevski said on Wednesday.

“We proved that where there is a will there is a way, and if there’s knowledge, we can start and head towards transformation. To illustrate, during my mandate as PM, 141 MW of energy derived from renewable sources was produced, and that number will reach 300 MW by the end of 2023. That’s almost half of what REK Bitola is producing using coal,” PM Kovachevski told reporters.

He reiterated that the Bitola central heating system is under construction, and that its technology will be even more modern than the one in Skopje.

“The hot water pipes have been delivered and there are two more phases to go. The KfW bank has secured funds of EUR 40 million and Power Plants of North Macedonia (ESM) has provided funds of EUR 7 million. I’d like to mention this is the Government’s priority, given that Bitola is a city that produces the state’s baseline energy. I want to congratulate the employees at power-mining complex (REK) Bitola, who are primarily from Bitola, where all three blocs are operational for the first time in decades,” the PM said.

He pointed out their plan included all the measures and activities implemented over the past three months, such as energy subsidising, making all production capacities operational, securing an uninterrupted supply of energy sources and the liberalisation of the supply of energy sources in the state.

“These activities should continue in the future. This Government finished the gas pipeline from Zhidilovo to Bitola, which secures a flow of natural gas in Bitola where a co-generational plant can produce electricity and heat energy, just like TE-TO is doing in Skopje. The gas pipeline to the western part of the country, the Tetovo branch, is also almost done. The same is applicable to the other national branches, and then it will be up to the municipalities to secure an infrastructure alongside with the state to secure central heating for cities, which is a practical solution,” the PM said.

He added there was a tender and that two Turkish companies applied for the gasification of cities. Right now, it’s “under consideration whether the cities need gasification to every home or co-generational plants at the city entrances that will produce heat and electricity”, which will be followed by a heating network to homes – a modern concept applied in the US and European countries. Kovachevski also pointed out to the regulation changes to speed up the procedure to install photovoltaics over homes and companies, which is confirmed by the licences issued by the Energy Regulatory Commission.

“This is how we need to continue in order to have renewable energy, to transform fuel oil and other energy sources that cause pollution, and to continue with the construction of energy capacities that will enable a baseline energy that doesn’t come from coal but from other, renewable energy sources, including hydro and gas plants,” underlined PM Kovachevski. dk/ik/