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and Development available through NLB obtain funds for investments.
Tutunska Bank and Ohridska Bank, the
Green Development Fund available through What is your view about the fact that this
Halk Bank etc. is one of the rare foreign donations where
funds are invested in the private business
Do you provide professional services to sector?
the companies for development of projects
in the production plants that will enable D. Blazev: Considering that the assistance
reduction of the costs for energy and and support in the private sector are very
production of more competitive products? limited, and this sector is exceptionally
important for the development of the
D. Blazev: As a next step, to industrial economy in our country, every support,
companies that have introduced energy including the one provided by USAID, is
consumption monitoring and management welcome.
systems, we provide professional support
for preparation of energy audits, analyses, What is your message to the businessmen
studies and project documentation for the in Macedonia in regard to the energy
realization of projects for an increase of management issue?
energy efficiency in their production plants.
The projects refer to change of fuel, selection D. Blazev: I recommend to businessmen
of equipment and design of installations, to work systematically and in the long run,
use of waste heat, rational utilization of to reduce energy costs as part of the total
thermal energy, management of peak load, production costs, which ultimately means
thermal insulation of facilities, introduction more competitive products in the market.
of variable speed drives in electromotive In this manner they will manage to increase
plants, replacement of plants for energy their profits, to improve their image, to
transformation, compensation of reactive motivate their employees and to indirectly
energy, replacement and management of improve the energy security, stability and
lighting etc. In addition, we also provide economy in our country.
professional support for presentation of the
energy efficiency projects before the financial Zoran Jovanovski
institutions in order to help companies
With energy prices on the rise and trade and business activity challenged by James Stein, Director
broader economic trends, companies need to reduce costs now if they want to of the USAID Mission
remain competitive in the future. One effective way to reduce costs without in Macedonia
compromising production is to reduce unnecessary energy consumption. Our
Industrial Management Project is helping companies better understand, and
therefore reduce, their energy use and its associated costs. To date, we’ve
installed Energy Management Systems (EMS) in 17 companies.Each of them has
demonstrated that with only a few small scale, low cost adjustments, they’re able
to save up to 10% on their energy costs. This, of course, is great news for the
environment, but it’s also great news for their profit margins. These two are
not mutually exclusive goals. We hope that in spreading the news about these
results, we will inspire broad use of energy management systems throughout the
industrial sector and we encourage the Government of Macedonia to facilitate
investments in them. Doing so will help it achieve three of its strategic goals:
improved energy efficiency, greater private sector development, and reduction of
greenhouse gas emissions.
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