Skopje, 19 November 2021 (MIA) – The procurement of coal for thermal power plant Oslomej is ongoing and the selected bidder has already started to deliver coal. Operations will be launched once a reserve is created, said Deputy PM for Economic Affairs Fatmir Bytyqi on Friday. “I believe that Oslomej will start operations as planned. The transformer in Bloc 3 of mining-energy combine Bitola has suffered an incident and operations there will begin later in December. The tendering procedures regarding the procurement of coal for that bloc will be completed by the start of next week,” said Bytyqi. According to him, the defects in the plants happen as a result of the outdated capacities and insufficient investments in their modernization over the past 10-20 years. “Unfortunately they do occur but they are brief. This micro-management aims to control the electricity production. Thermal power plants Negotino and Oslomej will be put into use on December 1 and I believe this will contribute to improved production in the country,” noted Bytyqi.