Electricity in North Macedonia in 2024

In 2024, the electricity consumption in North Macedonia comprises a predominant reliance on fossil fuels, with more than half of its electricity, around 58%, coming from these sources, including a significant 34% from coal. Low-carbon or clean sources contribute approximately 29% to the country's electricity mix, with hydropower accounting for about 20%. Solar provides close to 5%, and wind energy contributes nearly 3%, while biofuels make up just about 1%. The remaining portion of North Macedonia's electricity needs is met through net imports, which supply around 13%. This current energy landscape highlights a heavy dependence on fossil fuels, contributing to environmental and air quality concerns, complemented by a modest but crucial presence of cleaner electricity sources.

Suggestions

To increase its low-carbon electricity generation, North Macedonia can draw lessons from countries that have successfully integrated nuclear, wind, and solar energy into their grids. Neighboring Bulgaria and regional partner Slovenia have significantly utilized nuclear energy, reaching about 42% and 34% of their electricity mix, respectively. This suggests that investing in nuclear energy could be a substantial strategy for North Macedonia. Furthermore, examining countries like Lebanon, which generates nearly a third of its electricity from solar power, and Cyprus with around 19% from solar, North Macedonia can find a pathway to enhance its solar capacity. Wind energy offers another promising avenue, as evidenced by Denmark's generation of over half its electricity from wind and Lithuania achieving about one-quarter. By embracing these low-carbon technologies, North Macedonia can reduce reliance on fossil fuels and work towards a sustainable energy future.

History

Reflecting on the history of low-carbon electricity generation in North Macedonia reveals a fluctuating reliance on hydropower over the decades. The early 1990s saw minor increases, but over the years, fluctuations were marked by periodic declines and sporadic increases, highlighting the challenges of maintaining consistent hydropower output. Notably, in 2003 and 2010, there were significant boosts to hydropower generation, but subsequent years have displayed a troubling inconsistency, with declines such as the one in 2011. In more recent years, the trend continued with modest increases in 2013 and 2015, but with declines re-emerging in 2014 and 2019. A promising development is the addition of solar power in 2023, contributing 0.3 TWh, marking a hopeful diversification into more reliable clean energy sources. These historical patterns underscore the critical need for North Macedonia to expand its energy portfolio, adding stable and sustainable energy options like nuclear, wind, and solar to complement hydropower.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Maximum Imports

Data Sources