Oslomej power station
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Oslomej power station is an operating power station of at least 125-megawatts (MW) in Zhubrino, Kičevo, North Macedonia with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Oslomej power station | Zhubrino, Kičevo, North Macedonia | 41.582133, 21.000288 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Reconstruction: 41.582133, 21.000288
- Unit 1: 41.582, 21.0
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reconstruction | cancelled | coal: bituminous | 129.5 | CFB | – | – |
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: lignite | 125 | subcritical | 1980 | 2030 (planned)[1][2] |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Reconstruction | JSC Macedonian Power Plants [100%] | Elektrani na Severna Makedonija AD |
| Unit 1 | REK Oslomej [100%][3] | Elektrani na Severna Makedonija AD [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Oslomej coal mine, imported, imported
Background
The 125 MW plant was commissioned in 1980. It is owned and operated by North Macedonian state-owned electric company Elektrani na Severna Makedonija (ESM).[4] It is fuelled by domestic lignite from Oslomej Coal Mine and also relies on imported coal.[5]
In December 2022, the power station closed after a fire at the site.[6] It appeared that the plant was operating intermittently as of April 2023.[7]
Past Modernization proposal
In 2015, a Feasibility study was prepared for modernization of the plant using imported bituminous coal, which would extend the service life of Oslomej "for at least 30 years". The plant's boiler was set to be replaced with a variant of CFB type of boiler (circulating fluidized bed).[8] The new unit would be 129.5MW.[9] The upgrade was included in ELEM's 2018-2022 development and investment plan.[10] However later it appeared that this plan did not go ahead. As of 2016/2017, opponents said the modernization proposal was not in line with the EU's new pollution control standards for power stations and its commitment to cut CO2 emissions by at least 40% by 2030.[11] As of October 2019, the unit was not listed as part of the government's 2040 Energy Strategy of North Macedonia.
Coal Phase Out Delayed
In September 2019, ESM said they planned to convert the coal plant to solar. In December 2019, PV Magazine reported that ESM "will begin construction on a 10 MW solar plant at its redundant coal plant in Oslomej after signing the engineering, procurement and construction deal with a Turkish contractor. The utility was planning to tender a 10 MW extension of the plant and two more 50 MW solar facilities."[12] See Oslomej solar farm for further details on the extension.
As of December 2021, North Macedonia was planning to phase out coal by 2027, decommissioning Oslomej TPP in 2021 and Bitola power station by 2027. The final NECP confirmed the plan to decommission Oslomej in 2021.[13]
In April 2022, the 10 MW solar plant began test operations.[14] Though the solar generation was developed with the intention of replacing the coal plant, the Oslomej thermal plant had continued operations after the initial target retirement.[15]
The decommissioning of Oslomej did not happen in 2021. In January 2022, the coal phase-out was delayed until 2030 due to concerns over energy security.[15] It appeared that the plant was operating intermittently as of April 2023[7]. As of Q1 2024 and Q3 2024, the plant appeared to be operating in some capacity.[16][17]
In December 2023, the Minister of Economy said North Macedonia would phase out coal from energy production in 2030.[18][19] According to reporting from September 2024, North Macedonia’s new center-right government signalled that they aimed to phase out coal in the energy sector by 2050, and wanted increased financial and technical support from the European Union and the US to accelerate its energy transition.[20]
Just Energy Transition Program proposal
According to reporting from November 2023, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the World Bank were planning to propose a €3 billion (US$3.26 billion) Just Energy Transition Investment Program (JET-P) to fund the replacement of Oslomej power station and Bitola power station with 1,700 MW of renewable projects. The plan was expected to be announced at the COP28 climate talks starting later in the month.[21] The plan was presented at the COP28 in December 2023.[4]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20240218215356/https://www.economy.gov.mk/content/Official%20NECP_EN.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 February 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/balkans-turns-coal-energy-crisis-trumps-climate-commitments-2022-04-19/.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20240125153941/https://www.esm.com.mk/?page_id=315. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 "TPP Oslomej," ELEM, accessed December 2019
- ↑ "Се најде јаглен за ТЕЦ Осломеј или само една десетина од потребните ресурси за крпење на престојната зима". irl.mk. November 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ТЕЦ ОСЛОМЕЈ ИСКЛУЧЕНА ПОРАДИ САМОЗАПАЛУВАЊЕ НА ЈАГЛЕН НАДВОР ОД ЕЛЕКТРАНАТА," Tera, December 25, 2022
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 "ВМРО-ДПМНЕ: ТЕЦ Осломеј три дена работи – два дена одмара, поради испад или „планиран" застој". a1on.mk. April 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "TPP Oslomej," ELEM, accessed June 2017
- ↑ "Modernization of TPP Oslomej," ELEM, 2017
- ↑ "ПЛАН ЗА РАЗВОЈ И ПЛАН ЗА ИНВЕСТИЦИИ," 2018 – 2022 година, Скопје, март 2018
- ↑ "Macedonia is not giving up coal," analytica Commentary, January 2017
- ↑ "North Macedonian utility plans three more tenders for 110 MW of solar," PV Magazine, December 4, 2019
- ↑ "NATIONAL ENERGY AND CLIMATE PLAN OF THE REPUBLIC OF NORTH MACEDONIA" (PDF). www.economy.gov.mk. January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
{{cite web}}: line feed character in|title=at position 36 (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "N. Macedonia starts test run of Oslomej PV plant," Renewables Now, April 6, 2022
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 "Balkans turns to coal as energy crisis trumps climate commitments," Reuters, April 19, 2022
- ↑ "„ЦЕЛТА ИМ Е ДА ГО ЗАТВОРАТ ТЕЦ ОСЛОМЕЈ" Од ВМРО-ДПМНЕ обвинуваат за криминален договор во „Електрани на Македонија"". plusinfo.mk. February 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "Comply or Close 2024: six years of deadly legal breaches by Western Balkan coal plants" (PDF). bankwatch.org. September 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ “European countries delay coal phase-outs and gamble on fossil gas amidst push for decarbonised power,” Beyond Fossil Fuels, December 7, 2023
- ↑ "North Macedonia presents just energy transition platform worth EUR 3 billion". balkangreenenergynews.com/. December 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ “Mexhiti hints at delaying North Macedonia’s coal exit deadline until 2050,” Balkan Green Energy News, September 13, 2024
- ↑ "Exclusive: EBRD backs 3 bln euro plan to wean North Macedonia off coal power," Reuters, November 17, 2023
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
