North Macedonia has completed its power transmission link with Albania with a new €17.2 million project

Construction has officially begun in North Macedonia on the large-scale 400-kilovolt (kV) interconnection with neighboring Albania. The project covers the section from Bitola to the Macedonian-Albanian border and is part of the broader Trans-European Corridor 8, which aims to optimize energy exchange in Southeast Europe, BalkanEngineer.com learned from BTA and official statements by MEPSO.

The construction of the Macedonian section of the power line is valued at 17.2 million euro and is being carried out by the state-owned transmission operator MEPSO. The project includes a route approximately 95 km long and the modernization of the “Bitola 2” substation. This is the final stage of North Macedonia’s strategy to connect its national power transmission grid with all its neighbors; until now, the country lacked a direct 400 kV connection only with Albania.

During the ceremony in Bitola, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski and MEPSO management emphasized that the new energy bridge will reduce transmission losses and ensure greater stability of supply throughout the region. The Bitola–Elbasan power line is critical for the development of the free energy maraket and for the integration of new renewable energy capacity.

Construction is expected to be completed within 30 months, allowing the connection to be fully operational by the end of 2028.

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