Ohrid, 11 September 2026 (MIA) – The renovation of nine student dormitories, one secondary school student dormitory and six schools with resource centers for students with disabilities will be carried out under the “Energy Efficient Rehabilitation of Student Dormitories and Resource Centers in North Macedonia” project.

The project, which aims to provide better and more modern living, accommodation and learning conditions for more than 5,000 students and pupils, is being implemented as part of the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) for the Western Balkans and through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). Details of the project were presented to the media during a two-day media study tour and thematic workshop held Friday in Ohrid.

The project covers facilities in Skopje, Ohrid, Bitola, Prilep, Shtip, Strumica and Veles. Most of them were built in the 1950s and 1960s, while the student dormitory in Bitola dates back to the 18th century and is now a facility in need of major and comprehensive renovation.

As explained at the workshop, the buildings will undergo deep energy renovation to bring them into line with modern energy standards. This means that the work will not be limited to heating systems and reducing energy consumption, but will address the buildings as a whole – from structural stability to energy-consuming systems.

The renovation also includes sanitary installations, electrical equipment, safety measures as well as shared spaces for studying and living. The aims is to create a more modern and higher-quality environment where young people will not only consume less energy, but also have better conditions for their everyday lives and studies.

“The cheapest and cleanest energy is the energy we never consume. With more than €21 million in grants from the European Union through REEP and WBIF, this investment is reducing emissions while also transforming the daily lives of thousands of students and pupils. This is the Green Agenda in its most tangible form and part of North Macedonia’s path towards the European Union,” said Stefano Ellero, Head of the Cooperation Section at the Delegation of the European Union.

The project will be implemented in three phases. The first phase covers the “Stiv Naumov” and “Kuzman Josifovski Pitu” student dormitories in Skopje. The renovation of “Stiv Naumov” is nearing completion and the facility is expected to be handed over soon, while “Kuzman Josifovski Pitu” is expected to be completed by the end of the year at the latest.

The second phase covers the remaining seven student dormitories. The tender procedures are in their final stages, and the renovation of the “Nikola Karev” student dormitory in Ohrid is expected to begin soon. The third phase covers the resource centers and the secondary school student dormitory. Design work began in April this year, and the entire project is expected to be completed by 2031.

“In the first phase, €20 million ha been invested, while €140 million has been allocated for the second phase. In addition, we are providing €21 million in grant support. Our goal is clear – to create modern and inclusive education systems, because every student deserves better conditions for education. This project is the largest investment ever made in our country in the area of student accommodation,” said Damjan Stojkovski from the Project Implementation Unit at the Ministry of Education and Science.

Four student dormitories – those in Ohrid, Prilep and Shtip, as well as the “Tome Stefanovski-Senikj” dormitory in Skopje – will be renovated to a higher standard, close to the standard for nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEB). They will also receive design support from Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute.

“What the journalists saw was not a visualization, but a completed building. This is a comprehensive rehabilitation – everything is being renovated, from the structure to the energy-consuming systems – which is precisely why the reduction in energy demand is around 56 percent per dormitory, rather than 10 or 15 percent. Four buildings are going a step further, approaching the NZEB standard, with design support from the Fraunhofer Institute,” said Robert Sharlamanov of KfW Skopje.

Following the completion of the renovations, energy demand is expected to decrease by an average of 56 percent, while carbon dioxide emissions to fall by 49 percent. Across the project as a whole, annual energy savings of 7,700 megawatt-hours are expected, along with a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 3,400 tonnes per year.

“For KfW, this is a long-term commitment extending to 2031, implemented in three phases and financed through a combination of loans, grants and support from the European Union. The grant is precisely what makes a serious and comprehensive renovation possible, rather than merely cosmetic improvements. Without it, the work would be more limited and the savings far smaller. What we are gaining is infrastructure that will consume less energy for many years to come, while the investments will pay for themselves through reduced energy costs,” said Oliver Jünger, Portfolio Manager at the German Development Bank KfW in Frankfurt.

The total available budget for the project amounts €85.56 million. Of this, €60 million is provided through KfW loans, €21 million in grants from the European Union through WBIF, and €3.85 million by the Ministry of Education and Science.

The project is scheduled for completion by December 2031, with additional funding also expected to be secured. With these additional funds, the total values of the investment could potentially exceed €100 million.

The “Energy-Efficient Rehabilitation of Student Dormitories and Resource Centers in North Macedonia” project is being implemented by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of North Macedonia, with financial support from KfW and the European Union. The implementation period runs from December 2019 to December 2031.

The project is part of the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP), an initiative of the European Union, KfW and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), launched in 2013 to support energy efficiency in the Western Balkans. Through REEP, more than €1.1 billion has been mobilized to date, including €184.6 million in EU grants and €982 million in loans from international financial institutions.

The date show that the Programme itself has so far contributed to annual energy savings of 1,220 gigawatt-hours and the avoidance of around 730,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year as well as the achievement of 90 legal and strategic outcomes.

Financial support for the projects is provided through the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF), which combines grants and loans to finance major infrastructure and development projects across the region.

Photo: MIA