Gazprom: Since early 2021, conditions for connecting consumers to gas in 167 rural communities – which is more than in all of last year – created by Gazprom

The Gazprom Board of Directors took note of the information about gas infrastructure expansion in rural areas.

It was highlighted that connecting rural communities to gas is an absolute priority for Gazprom as part of its ambitious work towards nationwide gas infrastructure expansion. Traditionally, rural consumers account for about 80 per cent of facilities in the programs for gas supply and gas infrastructure expansion in Russian regions.

The meeting participants had a detailed discussion on the current status of gas infrastructure expansion efforts in villages and settlements. Since early 2021, the Company has already created the conditions for bringing gas to 167 rural communities, which is more than in all of the year 2020. Access to pipeline gas is now available to more than 43,000 households and apartments, as well as 105 boiler houses.

At the same time, Gazprom has undertaken a large-scale effort to implement the instructions of Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, for expediting additional gas grid expansion in the localities that are already provided with gas.

The Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Group jointly with the Russian Energy Ministry and the administrations of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation continue collecting and consolidating applications for additional gas grid expansion. The applications are being collected in 75 regions of Russia where the single and regional operators of gas infrastructure expansion are active.

It was noted that there are certain conditions with regard to additional gas grid expansion. For instance, households and gardeners’ non-commercial partnerships are supposed to be located within communities that are already provided with gas, and there have to be duly executed title documents for the households and land plots in question. Gardeners’ non-commercial partnerships may be connected to gas as a single land plot, i.e. gas networks will be built up to the boundaries of such partnerships.

Gazprom is actively working with the population to raise awareness about additional gas grid expansion in rural areas. Meetings with citizens are arranged in every region. Representatives of the Company and regional administrations give consumers detailed instructions on the conditions of connections to gas networks, the application procedure, and approximate costs for consumers (including the costs of gas-using equipment). Mobile offices accept applications from the population during these events.

Today, some 3,800 personal application centers for additional gas grid expansion are operating in Russian regions. Among them are mobile offices, client centers of the Gazprom Mezhregiongaz Group, and multifunctional centers. In addition, consumers can file applications remotely via the portals of government services or the website of the single operator of gas infrastructure expansion in the Russian Federation https://connectgas.ru/.

The Management Committee was tasked with continuing the work on gas infrastructure expansion in rural areas.