Bitola, 26 November 2022 (MIA) - The construction of a district heating pipeline from REK Bitola to Bitola is progressing faster than expected, Power Plants of North Macedonia (ESM) director Vasko Kovachevski said Saturday while overseeing the construction works. “We are satisfied with the dynamics with which the economic operator is carrying out the construction works of the heating pipe from REK Bitola to the city of Bitola. We will be able to complete the first phase of the project, which was expected for 40 years, in less than two years, and in 2025/2026 the residents of Bitola will finally receive a supply of thermal energy,” Kovachevski said. The heating system is already located in the suburbs of Bitola, after which the second phase of the construction will follow, which is the installation of a secondary network throughout the city. “The project for construction of district heating pipeline for Bitola, Mogila and Novaci has both environmental and economic justification. Citizens will receive ecologically cleaner energy for heating their homes, which will be economically viable,” Kovachevski said. The project was made possible with a loan from Germany’s KfW Development Bank of more than €40 million, while ESM is investing €7 million from own funds.