North Macedonia is considering a private data centre investment of more than $500mn, while the government is also preparing a national facility for state institutions, Digital Transformation Minister Stefan Andonovski said on September 24.

Speaking in parliament, Andonovski said the government was working on two parallel tracks: attracting private investment in data centres and building a National Data Center to consolidate state digital infrastructure.

One private project under consideration envisages an initial investment of at least $100mn (€88mn), with potential total investment exceeding $500mn, local news portal Nezavisen reported.

The minister said data centres could attract foreign capital, create high-paying jobs and support domestic companies and the ICT sector.

"There is already interest in developing large capacities in the country," Andonovski said.

He rejected claims that a private data centre had been granted 100 MW of electricity or rights to use water from the Vardar river. No such project has been approved or requested, he said.

Private investors will have to secure their energy needs through legal procedures and market-based contracts, while each project will have to undergo technical, water management and environmental procedures, according to the ministry.

Meanwhile, the planned National Data Center will have installed capacity of less than 1 MW and gradually consolidate state information systems currently spread across more than 20 server and data locations. It will also be linked to backup infrastructure in Prilep.

The project has €20mn allocated under the EU Growth Plan, including a 30% EU grant. The government targets construction in 2027, subject to financing and required procedures, according to the Ministry's statement.