REK Bitola to build 180 MW of solar and 300 MWh storage as coal phase‑out begins

REK Bitola, the country's largest electricity producer and a long-standing source of air pollution in the Pelagonia plain, has announced a package of green investments that will reshape its production mix over the coming years.

The utility plans to construct three photovoltaic plants with a combined capacity of 180 megawatts on roughly 340 hectares inside the complex. The package also includes a battery energy storage system sized at 300 megawatt‑hours.

Land ownership, timelines and a proposed gas plant

Company officials say the intended sites are state-owned or belong to AD ESM, which should shorten the timetable by avoiding lengthy expropriation and property-legal procedures. A 250‑megawatt gas-fired unit is also envisaged; it would be tied into Bitola’s district heating network.

Toni Angelevski, assistant director for development and investments at REK Bitola, says the projects are expected to spark local economic activity through construction and local procurement, and that implementation is planned within the next five to seven years.

Environmental groups, however, are urging a different focus. "Pelagonia must not only replace coal with new generation capacity, but build a new economic prospect. Priority should be renewables, storage, a modern grid, new green jobs and retraining of workers, and greater participation of local communities and businesses. The gas plant must not become a new long-term dependency. Now is the moment for investments to direct Pelagonia toward a clean, resilient and diversified economy, not toward new fossil infrastructure," said EKO-svest.

The central question for residents and policymakers will be how to balance the region’s energy needs, climate and air-quality goals, and the economic stability of a coal-dependent local economy during the transition.

Photo: press material from the event