The European Investment Bank (EIB) has confirmed that it will provide almost EUR 1bn for strategic investments in energy and science in Poland. In line with its aim of promoting competitive and secure energy, the EIB has provided EUR 250m of financing to Energa for the upgrading and extension of its electricity distribution network in northern and central Poland. This financing, in the form of innovative hybrid bonds, is guaranteed under the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), a central element of the Juncker Commission’s Investment Plan for Europe. A further two EIB loans are providing Poland with EUR 730m for research, development and innovation activities in research institutes, universities and enterprises. The latter operations are the first to be supported by InnovFin Science, a facility with the financial backing of the European Union under Horizon 2020, its research and innovation programme. Energa will use the funds obtained from the issue of hybrid bonds to implement its priority investment programme in 2017-2019. The company estimates its total capital expenditure in this period to be in the order of EUR 814m. The innovative nature of the hybrid bond product stems from its equity-type features and partial equity recognition by rating agencies. The main objective of Energa’s programme is to increase the security of electricity supply while limiting network losses and improving the quality of service. The project will also include investments in the connection of renewable energy sources (mainly in low and medium voltage) to increase the hosting capacity of the network. Apart from these tasks, investments in smart meters and network automatisation as well as in new connections in the [...]
On March 10, 2015 the Economic and Financial Affairs Council agreed its’ negotiating stance on a proposed regulation on a European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) under the Investment Plan for Europe announced on November 2014. This will allow the Presidency, on behalf of the Council, to start negotiations with the European Parliament as soon as the EP has agreed its own negotiating stance. The aim is for an overall agreement to be reached by June, to enable new investments to begin as early as mid-2015. Council negotiating stance on the EFSI regulation >>> The Council agreed that the fund would be built on €16 billion in guarantees from the EU budget and €5 billion from the EIB. To facilitate the payment of potential guarantee calls, a guarantee fund would be established that would gradually reach €8 billion (i.e. 50% of total EU guarantee obligations) by 2020. Following a decision by the Board of Governors of the European Investment Bank (EIB) small and medium-sized companies (SMEs) across Europe should be able to benefit from the first funds from the new EFSI before this summer. The money can be available for SMEs from the European Investment Fund (EIF), part of the EIB-Group, which will cover the risk of transactions with intermediaries providing additional finance to SMEs and small mid-caps until the main EFSI is in place. The EFSI should be up and running by September 2015 at the latest. Infrastructure projects may also benefit from similar pre-financing arrangements before EFSI is fully set up. KEY MEASURES IN IMPLEMENTING THE JUNCKER’S INVESTMENT PLAN An Investment Plan for Europe is an attempt [...]
In a few words
We represent the widely understood Central Europe energy sector (electricity generation, distribution and transmission, renewables, gas, oil, heat generation and distribution, chemical industries, etc.), universities and scientific institutions.
