08.12.2025

Starting from December 1, 2025, thanks to productive collaboration between the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan SOCAR, M-Gaz and CNG Systems, natural gas from Azerbaijan has been supplied to households, social and industrial customers in the town of Strumica, Republic North Macedonia.

Today, on December 8, the official launch was attended by Eng. Stoyan Manolov, manager of M-Gaz Ltd. Blagoy Milanovich, director of Strumica Gas, and Mitko Andreevski, owner of CNG Systems, in the presence of Rosen Simitchiev, office manager of SOCAR’s Regional Commercial Representation in the Balkans.

A gas distribution network of 50 km has been built in the city, which is supplied with compressed natural gas. With the expansion of hybrid gasification in the Republic of North Macedonia, Azerbaijani natural gas provides heating and hot water to six kindergartens and eight schools, thus benefiting nearly 1,000 children and over 6,500 students from the advantages of natural gas. The project also includes a hospital, several buildings and offices in the municipality of Strumica, as well as two industrial customers.

This is a pilot extension of hybrid gasification project implemented in Bulgaria since 2024 to Republic North Macedonia. The project in Bulgaria was launched through the partnership between SOCAR and M-Gaz by supplying compressed natural gas (CNG) to industrial and social customers who are not connected to the gas transmission or distribution network. SOCAR, through M-Gaz, provided now necessary volumes of natural gas to the CNG Systems company, who supplies industrial and social customers in the town of Strumica.

SOCAR through its efficient collaboration with M-Gaz and CNG Systems promotes and supports hybrid gasification project not only in Bulgaria, but now also in Republic North Macedonia. Hybrid gasification leads to a significant reduction in fine dust particles, which directly improves air quality and provides greater comfort for consumers.

Strumica is the cultural, commercial, and political center of the southeastern region of Republic North Macedonia. The tenth largest city in the country, with a population of nearly 40,000, Strumica is located in the Strumica Valley, near the border with Bulgaria at the town of Petrich.