The French Development Agency (AFD) has granted North Macedonia’s electricity transmission system operator MEPSO 600,000 euros to support the modernization and digitalization of the country’s electricity transmission network.
The non-repayable funding will provide technical assistance aimed at improving system efficiency, enhancing network reliability, reducing technical losses, and preparing MEPSO for higher integration of renewable energy and participation in the regional electricity market.
The project targets four strategic areas: conducting system adequacy studies using the ANTARES market simulator, assessing system reserve requirements, developing a methodology to calculate transmission losses, and preparing a feasibility study and conceptual design for the digitalization of a transformer substation. MEPSO engineers have already been trained by RTE International, a subsidiary of the French transmission system operator RTE, on operating the ANTARES simulation platform.
According to North Macedonia’s Minister of Energy, Mining and Mineral Resources Sanja Bozinovska, the initiative will accelerate MEPSO’s transition to a smarter network, improve operational planning, and enhance the company’s ability to manage the growing variability of renewable generation and market fluctuations.
The project is expected to bring concrete benefits for citizens and the economy, including fewer power interruptions, more efficient use of clean energy, stronger regional interconnections, and greater resilience to weather events, demand changes, and market volatility. MEPSO’s General Director Burim Ljatifi noted that the grant will help build the technical capacities required for a modern electricity transmission operator.
A key component of the project is the pilot digitalization of a 110 kV transformer substation, which will feature state-of-the-art control, protection, and monitoring systems, marking an important step toward transforming MEPSO into a forward-looking and more efficient grid operator.
