Sofia (Bulgaria), December 19, 2024 – Schneider Electric, recently named the most sustainable company by TIME magazine, received the “GREEN MANUFACTURING BUILDING” award at the 2024 Building of the Year Awards. The ceremony took place on Tuesday, December 17, at the Sofia Event Center.
“Building of the Year” is the oldest and most prestigious competition in the field in our country, which provides a broad perspective when assessing thanks to a diverse and competent jury. This year, its members total 33, and the competition itself is held under the patronage of the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works.
Schneider Electric Bulgaria’s manufacturing building was recently expanded with a new 3,000 sq. m of area, and then upgraded with a geothermal system, which is a valuable energy source, completely replacing the use of natural gas in the enterprise. On behalf of the company, the award was accepted by Eng. Martin Ganchevski, project manager for the implementation of the system.
The building was awarded for its comprehensive level of equipment, which includes precise measurement and management of energy consumption, a building management system (BMS), but most of all for the introduction of the geothermal system, which demonstrates a long-term commitment to responsible business operations and emission reduction.
“Sustainable development for us is not just an advertising message, but an important part of our long-term strategy, announced in 2021,” said Eng. Ganchevski. “This project represents the final step, thanks to which the Plovdiv factory became carbon neutral. We managed to integrate the first dry-type geothermal system into a Schneider Electric production plant in Europe. With the help of our entire portfolio of systems and automation, we implemented over 65 actions that reduced our carbon emissions by over 570 tons of CO2 per year, before the natural gas shutdown and the implementation of the geothermal system. We are open to sharing this know-how so that our customers and partners can also benefit from our experience,” he added.
Currently, Schneider Electric Bulgaria is in the process of building a second plant in our country, located, like the current one, in the industrial zone of Radinovo, Plovdiv. The launch of the new plant is scheduled for 2025.
