The Minister of energy, mining and mineral resources, Sanja Bozhinovska, today attended the official ceremony marking the successful financial close of the “Shtip Wind Farm” project, together with Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport Aleksandar Nikoloski, representatives of the investor Alcazar Energy Partners, financial institutions, and other representatives of institutions and the private sector.
The successful financial close represents one of the most important milestones in the implementation of this major energy project, creating the contractual and financial conditions necessary for moving into the next phase of its development.
Minister Bozhinovska emphasized that investments of this kind are proof that the country’s energy future is not built through declarations, but through concrete projects, strong partnerships, and institutions with a clear direction.
“Energy independence is not something that is simply declared. It is built. It is built through new production capacities, responsible investments, knowledge, and institutions with a clear direction. It is built through decisions whose value will not be measured only today, but also in the decades to come,” Bozhinovska emphasized.
The wind farm will generate clean electricity, create more than 300 jobs, and provide significant opportunities for local and regional companies.
The Minister pointed out that the role of the Ministry of energy, mining and mineral resources extends far beyond providing institutional support for individual projects.
“Our task is to set the direction of energy development, ensure institutional coordination, connect the needs of the economy with the capabilities of the energy system, and safeguard the public interest in every decision we make. The Ministry must be a driver of development and a guardian of the public interest,” Bozhinovska stressed.
She emphasized that one of the key responsibilities of the institutions is to create a stable and predictable investment environment in which serious investors have clear rules, legal certainty, and a professional institutional partner.
“We need to provide serious investors with clear rules, a professional approach, and efficient procedures within our competences. This means institutions that know what they want to achieve and a legal framework that provides certainty for long-term investment,” the Minister stated.
In this regard, Bozhinovska emphasized that the Ministry is continuing to establish and improve the legal and regulatory framework for the energy sector, with the aim of making Macedonia a country where investors can plan for the long term, and where energy projects can be implemented efficiently, transparently, and in accordance with the highest standards.
“We will advocate for more efficient procedures, but not for lower standards. We will encourage investment, but we will insist that it be responsible in its use of land, the environment, and local communities,” Bozhinovska emphasized.
The Minister stressed that the successful implementation of major energy investments requires genuine partnership between the Government, relevant institutions, investors, financial partners, system operators, and local communities.
Coordination among all institutions, together with a clear commitment to creating the conditions for development, is precisely what is essential for the implementation of projects that bring new power generation capacity and strengthen the country’s energy security.
“No major energy project should be viewed in isolation. We must plan new power generation capacity together with the development of the grid, energy storage capabilities, and the requirements for reliable system management. Our goal is not simply to have more installed megawatts. Our goal is for those megawatts to become part of a stronger and more resilient power system,” Bozhinovska said.
She added that the energy transition must also deliver tangible value to local communities – through new jobs, the involvement of domestic companies, opportunities for engineers and skilled professionals, and the creation of new prospects for young people.
“Macedonia should be a country where natural potential becomes productive power, investments become development, and development translates into a better quality of life,” the Minister stated.
The Ministry of energy, mining and mineral resources remains committed to creating a stable, modern, and predictable energy policy that will provide the conditions for new investments, the development of domestic energy capacities, and the strengthening of the country’s energy security.
With regards,
Ministry of energy, mining and mineral resources
