The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) promoted energy efficiency and renewable energy in Croatia’s capital Zagreb by recognising nine outstanding projects financed under the Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Finance Facility II (WeBSEFF II).
The 2015 Sustainable Energy Excellence Awards ceremony hosted by the EBRD took place at the Esplanade hotel. Outstanding investments promoting energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies in the commercial, residential and municipal sectors were recognised at the event, attended by local authorities, international institutions, the diplomatic community as well as EBRD’s partner banks and local companies.
Company Brod-plin was awarded in the category of energy efficiency in the public sector. Its project was financed through WeBSEFF by Zagrebačka banka, Croatia.
IEE from Bosnia and Herzegovina was awarded for successful use of renewable energy in the public sector, and the company’s endeavour was financed by UniCredit Bank, Bosnia and Herzegovina. For utilization of advanced technology in the production process for the improvement of energy efficiency, company Krupa-kabine from Bosnia and Herzegovina was awarded for a project financed through WeBSEFF by Raiffeisen Bank’s branch in the country.
Kiro Dandaro from FYR Macedonia received recognition for the improvement of energy efficiency in the production process for the better protection of the environment, financed by Ohridska banka. In the category of improvement of the production process to enable energy savings and scrap reduction, the awarded project was by FMB from Serbia. The project was financed through WeBSEFF by Banca Intesa.
Farm of Miodrag Radanov from Serbia had the best improvement of energy efficiency in agricultural production. The project was financed by Komercijalna banka.
For the energy efficiency refurbishment of business buildings, the award went to Alkaloid, for a project financed by NLB Tutunska banka in Macedonia. Privredna banka Zagreb financed company Komuščak for the awarded project of energy efficiency refurbishment of a residential building.
Sense Esco from Croatia received recognition for its ESCO project, financed through WeBSEFF by Erste Bank.
EBRD said it also awarded Sustainable Energy Excellence Awards to all nine partner banks, in recognition of their work in bringing sustainable energy financing opportunities to their customers.
Under WeBSEFF II, the bank is supporting a regional approach to sustainable use and conservation of energy. The EUR 92 million framework is providing longer-term financing to local banks in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia to on-lend for eligible projects and is complemented by technical assistance and investment grants funded by the European Union. So far, banks have on-lent EUR 42.27 million to 162 companies for financing energy efficiency improvements with a combined value of about EUR 52.27 million. These projects led to annual total equivalent primary energy savings of 386.7 GWh per year and of 205,028 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. These are equivalent of the energy consumption of the buildings of a city of about 25,000 inhabitants for an entire year, and the equivalent of taking 30,000 passenger cars off the roads in the period.
EBRD said it recently adopted a new approach to scale up its financing to tackle the climate change over the next four years ahead the COP21 in Paris. Under the new Green Economy Transition approach, the bank is aiming to step up its green financing to around EUR 18 billion or 40% of its total annual investment by 2020.
