EIB and UniCredit Bank Austria enable companies to invest in renewable energy and energy efficiency
- The EU bank is providing UniCredit Bank Austria with a framework loan of up to €92 million.
- The long-term loan supports Austria’s goal of generating 100% of electricity from renewables by 2030.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and UniCredit Bank Austria will support investments in small and medium-sized renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in Austria. The EIB will make a framework loan of up to €92 million available to the Austrian bank, which will then create a credit portfolio of up to €200 million for financing clean energy projects.
The demand for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects is high: the Austrian government aims to generate 100% of electricity from wind, solar and hydropower by 2030. Decentralised photovoltaic systems are expected to play a significant role, including a 100 000 solar roofs programme. Hydropower, along with pumped storage and wind farms, are also part of the government’s programme.
These ambitious government goals have created a high demand for new, climate-friendly energy projects in Austria. This has caused a certain lack of competitively priced long-term financing sources being available for smaller and medium-sized renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.
The EIB aims to fill this market gap together with partner banks and other financial intermediaries. To this end, last year the EU bank provided a climate action programme loan to Austria. The framework loan for UniCredit Bank Austria announced today is the first sub-operation within this EIB programme.
UniCredit Bank Austria has a solid record in financing for renewable energy and energy efficiency in Western Europe with a sizeable pipeline of initiatives in Austria.
EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros said: “We are very pleased to cooperate with UniCredit Bank Austria to get renewable energy and energy efficiency projects up and running. Austria already benefits from one of Europe’s most developed and efficient green energy markets with a strong record of successful climate action investments as well as an important pipeline of new projects expected in the coming years. The EIB will remain a strong and reliable partner in developing these sectors in Austria and supporting Europe’s transition to a fossil-free future.”
According to Dieter Hengl, member of the Management Board of UniCredit Bank Austria responsible for Corporates, “Climate protection and sustainability have long been major strategic topics for our bank. The financial sector as a whole has a central role to play in the transition to a low-carbon economy. Channelling money flows into sustainable, climate-friendly industries, activities and initiatives is the key joint challenge of the future. I am very pleased that we are the first bank in Austria to have signed the climate action facility loan with the EIB. Together with the EIB, we are helping companies to become sustainable and climate-friendly and can thus enable our customers to invest in these important issues at particularly advantageous conditions.”
Background information
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union owned by its Member States. It makes long-term finance available for sound investment in order to contribute towards EU policy goals. The EIB’s activities focus on the following priority areas: climate and environment, development, innovation and skills, small and medium-sized businesses, infrastructure and cohesion. The EIB works closely with other EU institutions to foster European integration, promote the development of the European Union and support EU policies in over 140 countries around the world.
UniCredit Bank Austria is one of the leading and best capitalised major banks in Austria and part of UniCredit, a pan-European commercial bank with a unique service offering in Italy, Germany, and Central and Eastern Europe. Digitalisation and our commitment to ESG principles are key enablers for our service. They help us deliver excellence to our stakeholders and create a sustainable future for our clients, our communities and our people.
Press contacts
Donata Riedel, d.riedel@eib.org, tel.: +49 30 590047 90, mobile: +49 151 14659021
Website: www.eib.org/press — Press Office: +352 4379 21000 — press@eib.org
Franziska Schenker, Franziska.Schenker@unicreditgroup.at, tel.: +43 (0)50505-51417
Website: https://www.bankaustria.at/en/