North Macedonia plans to invest at least €50 million in improving the energy efficiency of public buildings.
The Ministry of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources held a meeting, marking the start of preparations for a major investment cycle in the energy refurbishment of public buildings. The meeting was also attended by the Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources, Sanja Božinovska.
Guidelines were presented for drafting a preparatory study on energy efficiency, with the intention of making the renovation of the public building stock one of the key state priorities. The process is being carried out under the PEEB Cool programme, with support from the French Development Agency (AFD) and in coordination with GIZ and the relevant institutions.
As an initial step, a list of 14 priority public buildings was presented, with a total floor area of around 100,000 square metres and an estimated renovation value of approximately €11 million.
The list forms the basis for developing a much broader investment portfolio, with the ambition of reaching at least €50 million, the Ministry stated.
The preparatory study will, as explained, provide the foundation for the next phase—detailed analyses and the implementation of investments.
For each building, at least two of the three key criteria must be met: a minimum of 40% energy savings, a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, or 40% water savings. In addition, buildings without cooling systems will be required to achieve at least a 20% improvement in thermal comfort.
During the meeting, it was emphasised that the state already has an obligation to renovate 3% of public buildings annually in the period 2025–2028, with the aim of reaching at least 9% by 2028.
Through this process, the state is establishing a clear, technically grounded and investment-ready framework to accelerate the refurbishment of public buildings, reduce energy consumption and improve conditions in the public sector.
(EUpravo zato/Balkangreenenergynews)