ESM head expects companies illegally on regulated market to return to free market as soon as possible
Skopje, 15 November 2022 (MIA) – Director General of the Power Plants of North Macedonia company (ESM), Vasko Kovachevski, expects the companies that were illegally transferred to the regulated market to return to the free market as soon as possible. He admits they can burden the electricity price paid by households and small consumers.
“This should be done fast because those consumers can burden the price for citizens and small consumers. During this year, ESM is significantly reducing non-productive costs. So, a reduced price of domestically produced electricity. In this regard, we will see to it that the price is balanced and, as you heard in the statements from the ERC President and also from the Minister of Economy, increase in the price of electricity is not expected, except for the part of the tax which should be 10 percent as of January 1, instead of 5,” said Kovachevski.
ESM will have the exact estimates around December 15, and the production plan for next year is expected to be increased compared to this year.
Electricity is currently produced through the two blocks in the mining-power complex (REK) Bitola, while overhaul activities are underway in REK Oslomej and Negotino power plant. The ESM head Vasko Kovachevski expects that at the beginning of next month REK Bitola will work at full capacity, i.e. the third bloc will be put into operation after the arrival of the transformer from Turkey. The transformer is expected to arrive in the country by 22 November, after which installation should take about 10 days.
REK Oslomej will be under overhaul activities until November 28, after which it is expected to start operating at the beginning of December and fully meet the planned production quantities of electricity for the period from December 1 to April 30 next year. Negotino power plant is also undergoing overhaul activities, and it is expected to be completely ready for the heating season and provide additional electricity production.
“There was no purchase of electricity in October. In the first half of November, we procured only for seven days, i.e. there were no procurements for the first seven days of the month and it is now expected under the electricity delivery plan that there will be some procurement in the second half of November and during December if there is a need according to the production of electricity from domestic capacities,” Kovachevski said.
