Bulgarian plant eyes supplying gas to Panagyurishte together with SOCAR

Bulgaria's Assarel-Medet JSC Mining and Processing Complex plans to jointly with the State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) supply gas to the Bulgarian city of Panagyurishte (located 91 km east of Sofia in the province of Pazardzhik), Assarel-Medet JSC Mining and Processing Complex Executive Director Nikolay Peltekov told Report.

"Together with SOCAR, we are developing a project for the gas supply of the municipality of Panagyurishte, where our company is located. Next year, we plan to jointly begin supplying gas to Panagyurishte, which is the administrative center of this municipality," Peltekov said.

He noted that the implementation of this project will have an "exclusively positive impact" on the region, where residential buildings are heated mainly by solid fuel. Peltekov also reminded that in June of this year, SOCAR began gas supplies to industrial enterprises in Bulgaria, including Assarel-Medet.

"We expect that SOCAR, as our strategic partner, will supply us [with gas] in the long term at competitive prices," Peltekov noted.

Assarel-Medet Mining and Processing Complex is the largest open-pit copper and other ore mining and processing company in Bulgaria. The plant produces and supplies high-quality copper concentrates and cathode copper. SOCAR and Assarel Investment (a subsidiary of the plant) signed a memorandum of understanding on May 8, 2024.