The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing two loans in Slovenia:
- EUR 100 million to finance investments aimed at increasing the capacity of the gas transmission infrastructure to meet the growing demand for gas in the country and
- EUR 50 million to support projects of small and medium-sized companies in the automotive sector to develop components for new generations of energy efficient cars
Mr. Anton Rop, EIB Vice-President responsible for lending in Central Europe, including Slovenia, stated: “Both loans will support Slovenia’s efforts to upgrade the quality of the environment in the country by increasing the availability of cleaner energy resources such as gas and reducing emissions by using the new generation of more energy-efficient power-trains”.
The loan of EUR 100 million will help to implement the 2010-2013 investment programme focused on upgrading the capacity of the existing gas transmission infrastructure to better meet the increase in gas demand. This involves the construction of some 235 km of pipelines and compression facilities across the country
The loan of EUR 50 million to the Slovene Export and Development Bank (SID) will co-finance small and medium-sized investments aimed at increasing the environmental sustainability and safety of passenger cars and commercial vehicles. This is expected to be achieved through the development of components or systems for new generations of energy-efficient power-trains, weight reduction or other means of reducing emissions from vehicles, or through active or passive safety systems.
This loan represents the continuation of the EIB’s successful cooperation with SID. In July 2009 the Bank provided a loan of EUR 380 million to SID. Part of this loan (EUR 80 million) focused on the development of new generation vehicle technology and car emissions reduction. It has been fully allocated to 19 projects.
Note to editors:
The mission of the EIB, the European Union’s bank, is to contribute to the integration, balanced development and economic and social cohesion of the EU Member States by financing sound investment.
Thanks to its Statute and shareholders, the 27 Member States, including Slovenia, the EIB has an AAA-rating and can therefore borrow funds on the capital markets on favourable terms, which it passes on via the loans that it grants to its clients and final beneficiaries. Since 1990, the EIB has signed loan contracts in Slovenia, including the current loans, amounting to some EUR 4.2 billion.