20.10.2025

The Prolet kindergarten in the village of Chervena Voda, Ruse Municipality, now has eco-friendly natural gas heating. Today, October 20, 2025, the facility was officially opened after successfully switching to natural gas. This major step is the second stage of the long-term Hybrid Gasification of Public Buildings Project and was made possible thanks to a donation from M-Gas EOOD and the excellent partnership with the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan SOCAR and the Municipality of Ruse. The initiative demonstrates a strong commitment to energy efficiency and environmental protection in areas without a gas transmission network.

The gasification project at Prolet Kindergarten is supported by a donation from M-Gas in the amount of BGN 88,000. Its main goal is to improve the energy efficiency of the building and reduce harmful emissions by 30% by replacing diesel fuel heating with more environmentally friendly natural gas. The kindergarten’s nearly 50-year-old heating system (dating from 1977) was completely replaced with a state-of-the-art, highly efficient system.

Thanks to this modernization, M-Gas and its partners are providing 50% lower heating costs and significantly greater comfort for the 180 children and staff at the kindergarten. The investment covers the complete design and construction of a compressed natural gas (CNG) installation, a new heating system, including a modern boiler room with two high-efficiency condensing gas boilers. The installed remote control of the boilers is expected to achieve additional savings of up to 20% in natural gas consumption.

The new stage was marked with a solemn ceremony attended by the mayor of Ruse Municipality, Dr. Pencho Milkov, Deputy Mayor Encho Enchev, Eng. Stoyan Manolov, manager of M-Gas EOOD, Rosen Simitchiev, office manager of SOCAR’s Regional Commercial Representation in the Balkans, the mayor of Chervena Voda Vladimir Dimitrov Dimitrov, Stanislava Doncheva, director of the kindergarten and Iskren Veselinov, municipal councilor in the Ruse Municipal Council.

A little earlier, the Municipality of Ruse hosted the signing of the donation agreement between the Municipality of Ruse and M-Gas, represented by Mayor Pencho Milkov and Eng. Stoyan Manolov.

“I would like to thank our partners from M-Gas and SOCAR. Every project like this is a step towards a more modern and energy-efficient municipality. With the implementation of this initiative, we are showing that even in communities without a gas transmission network, sustainable and environmentally friendly solutions can be implemented when there is responsibility and good cooperation between institutions and businesses. It is important for us not only to modernize buildings, but also to provide better conditions for the children and the people who care for them. This is an investment in the future of our communities and in the quality of life of the people of Ruse,” said Mayor Milkov.

Rosen Simitchiev from SOCAR emphasized: “SOCAR promotes and is committed to gasification in Bulgaria through the hybrid gasification project implemented jointly with M-Gas. Hybrid gasification provides natural gas to industrial and social consumers who are not connected to the gas transmission and distribution network. For us, it is extremely important to gasify social customers such as schools, kindergartens, and others that have an important social and economic impact on society. Azerbaijani gas currently meets over 50% of Bulgaria’s consumption and is also supplied to other countries in the Balkans. ‎

Eng. Stoyan Manolov added: “This donation is our proof that M-Gas is committed not only to business but also to corporate social responsibility by investing in the future of children and improving the quality of the air we breathe. The joint project between SOCAR and M-Gas for hybrid gasification of social facilities is a good example of sustainable development.”

The children from the kindergarten “Prolet” had prepared a festive performance for their guests, and the teaching staff of the kindergarten expressed their gratitude for the cleaner, healthier, and more comfortable environment created for their pupils.

This project is the second phase of a long-term initiative by SOCAR and M-Gas. The previous success was achieved in November 2024 with the gasification of the St. Cyril and Methodius Primary School in the village of Nikolovo (an investment by M-Gas worth BGN 78,000). Murad Heydarov, head of SOCAR’s Regional Commercial Representation in the Balkans, was also present at the time. ‎

The hybrid gasification project implemented by M-Gas and SOCAR demonstrates how joint efforts can achieve significant results in energy efficiency through a virtual gas pipeline. The initiative has the potential to increase the number of gasified social and industrial facilities and, accordingly, gas volumes in the coming years.

M-Gas is already working on the gasification of a third social facility, which further expands the scope of the initiative. The long-term goal of the joint project, supported by M-Gas and SOCAR, is for all public buildings in the municipality that do not have access to the gas distribution network to switch to natural gas, replacing inefficient and polluting systems that run on wood, coal, or diesel, demonstrating a strong commitment to sustainable development.