PowerChina Jiangxi Electric Power Construction has been selected to build and operate a 30 MW solar power project in North Macedonia, in a contract worth €12 million and financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
The project, developed for state-owned utility Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM), will be built across two sites linked to the country’s coal-fired power generation infrastructure.
PowerChina will install 10 MW of solar capacity at the exhausted Oslomej coal mine and a further 20 MW near the Bitola thermal power plant. The €12 million contract covers the construction and operation of the photovoltaic facilities, with the project forming part of North Macedonia’s efforts to expand renewable energy capacity while making use of existing energy sites.
The Oslomej site highlights how former coal infrastructure can be repurposed as part of the energy transition. ESM previously developed a 10 MW solar power plant at the depleted Oslomej open-pit coal mine, which was the first solar project of its kind in the Western Balkans. Using former mining and power-generation sites for renewable projects can help countries make better use of existing land and infrastructure while gradually reducing their reliance on coal.
The shift at Oslomej is also extending beyond solar generation. In May, Austria-based developer and independent power producer Renalfa IPP began installing a 50 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) at its Oslomej solar plant, with a total storage capacity of 200 MWh.
The combination of solar generation and large-scale battery storage highlights the growing importance of flexibility and energy storage as renewable capacity expands across Southeast Europe.
The project also reflects the growing role of Chinese companies in the region’s renewable energy development. PowerChina is already involved in several energy projects across Southeast Europe. In Serbia, Chinese renewable energy company SANY Renewable Energy recently started construction of the Alibunar A and Alibunar B wind projects and selected PowerChina Chengdu Engineering as the EPC contractor.
The growing involvement of companies such as PowerChina shows how international EPC contractors and technology providers are becoming increasingly important to the region’s energy transition.
North Macedonia’s latest solar project is part of a wider shift in Southeast Europe, where former coal assets are increasingly being integrated into renewable energy development.
For governments and utilities, this creates an opportunity to repurpose existing energy sites while increasing renewable generation. For international companies, it points to growing demand for EPC services, solar technology, battery storage, grid infrastructure and energy project development.
The combination of renewable generation, storage and existing energy infrastructure could become an increasingly important model for countries looking to reduce coal dependence without leaving existing industrial sites and infrastructure behind.
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