The FINANCIAL — The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and partners have awarded the best energy efficiency projects financed in the Slovak Republic through the Municipal Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (MunSEFF) in an award ceremony in Bratislava.
The EBRD-led programme, supported by the European Union (EU), provides funds to Slovak commercial banks in the form of loans to municipalities and private companies to invest in more efficient use of energy in their municipal infrastructure, including municipal and residential buildings, public transport, district heating and street lighting.
The awards ceremony recognised eight of the most successful projects promoting sustainable energy investments. Among the winners were the self-governing region Bratislava and the city of Nitra, the energy service companies Cofely, SE Predaj and KOOR and the housing management companies ByPo and Službyt Levice, according to EBRD.
Two participating banks in the programme – Slovenská sporiteľna and VUB Banka – were also awarded during the ceremony for their long-term commitment to financing sustainable energy projects.
Since the start of the programme in 2010, MunSEFF has supported more than 400 projects, including energy efficiency improvements in 114 municipal buildings, 219 residential buildings and 70 municipal infrastructure projects. The total loan amount reached about €85 million with total investment costs of more than €92 million. The programme was supported by a EU grant of €21.3 million used for investment incentives and the provision of technical assistance to its partner banks and sub-borrowers.
Projects financed under MunSEFF will lead to annual primary energy savings equivalent to the household electricity consumption of a regional Slovak city Trnava (about 70,000 inhabitants) and greenhouse gas emission reductions of 15,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Lucyna Stańczak-Wuczyńska, EBRD Director Financial Institutions/EU Banks, said: “To date, the EBRD has provided €275 million in credit lines to local participating banks for sustainable energy investments. Today we celebrate the successful completion of the MunSEFF programme, however the EBRD remains committed to investing in sustainable energy in the Slovak Republic through the SlovSEFF programme, which focuses on private sector sustainable energy investments.”
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