Prolonged drought and scarce rainfall have severely reduced water levels in North Macedonia’s reservoirs and hydropower plants. According to data from state-owned power utility ESM, the total stored energy currently amounts to just 124 GWh—only 21% of the country’s total reservoir capacity.
At this time of year, hydropower facilities typically supply around a quarter of North Macedonia’s electricity needs. However, ESM reports that persistent unfavorable weather conditions have led to two consecutive years of below-average inflows. While 2022 and 2023 were considered hydrologically normal, inflows in 2024 fell to 80% of the twenty-year average, and in 2025 they have declined further to 72%. The drop is mainly due to reduced winter snowfall, minimal rainfall in spring and autumn, and prolonged, extremely hot summers characterized by frequent heatwaves.
This situation mirrors the severe hydrological stress experienced in late 2021 and early 2022, when reservoir levels dropped to as low as 6%. That earlier decline coincided with the regional energy crisis, when soaring electricity prices and the failure of some private suppliers to meet contractual obligations forced the transmission system operator MEPSO to rely heavily on hydropower for network stability, depleting water reserves.
Hydropower plants in North Macedonia serve a dual purpose: they cover daily fluctuations in electricity demand and provide crucial system balancing and frequency regulation services. However, excessive reliance on these plants during thermal power outages and extended dry periods has put increasing strain on limited water resources.
A similar pattern emerged again between late 2024 and early 2025, when reservoir levels once more fell to 6%. The decline was primarily driven by the intensive use of hydropower to offset repeated breakdowns of thermal power plants during the summer, followed by an exceptionally dry autumn.
Current reservoir levels remain alarmingly low. HPP Mavrovo holds 82 GWh of water energy, representing 22% of capacity. HPP Spilje contains only 4.5 GWh, or 10%, while Lake Ohrid and HPP Globocica together store 7 GWh, or 12%. HPP Tikves stands at 13.5 GWh (22%) and HPP Kozjak at 17 GWh (28%).
As North Macedonia enters yet another dry season, ESM faces growing difficulties in maintaining a balance between electricity generation and system stability. The situation underscores the urgent need for more sustainable and resilient strategies for managing both water resources and energy production.
