EIB Advisory Supports Greece in strengthening energy resilience of military installations

• EIB Advisory support to the Ministry of National Defence of Greece for developing energy autonomy across military installations
• Preparation of a comprehensive investment programme covering project design, prioritisation and implementation planning
• Exploration of financing solutions and market engagement to ensure efficient, sustainable and resilient energy delivery

The European Investment Bank  (EIB) will work with the Ministry of National Defence of Greece to develop a comprehensive investment programme aimed at strengthening the energy autonomy of military installations across Greece.

The initiative forms part of a broader programme to modernise and restructure military infrastructure and covers an initial group of around 40 priority sites identified primarily based on their energy needs. The programme aims to establish a coherent investment framework that will ensure reliable and uninterrupted energy supply, reduce operating costs and limit dependence on external energy sources, while enhancing the overall resilience of critical infrastructure.

The cooperation was launched following a request from the Ministry, with the objective of supporting the preparation and implementation of a large-scale and complex investment programme. In this context, implementation models involving private sector participation are being considered, linking contractor remuneration to achieved energy savings and thereby promoting efficiency and long-term sustainability.

With the support of EIB Advisory, the investment programme will be structured, priorities will be defined and alternative solutions will be assessed to meet the energy needs of the installations. At the same time, an appropriate implementation framework will be developed, including project structuring and potential clustering approaches, with a view to attracting market interest and optimising delivery.

The advisory support will also cover the exploration of financing options, the preparation of tender procedures in line with EU standards and, at a later stage, support for a potential EIB financing operation.

“Energy demands for critical infrastructure are constantly evolving, requiring more modern and flexible approaches. Through this cooperation, the EIB is supporting Greece in developing solutions that strengthen the autonomy and resilience of military installations in a practical and sustainable way. This is an investment in the future, helping to safeguard infrastructure and ensure it remains ready to respond to emerging challenges.”, said EIB Vice-President Yannis Tsakiris.

The Minister of National Defense, Nikos Dendias, stated: “The contract concerns the 40 most energy-consuming military camps in our country, whose consumption nevertheless accounts for 62% of the total energy usage of the Armed Forces. In other words, this is a project with a huge environmental footprint that will reduce the energy consumption of these facilities by 50% and cut the Ministry’s energy costs by €17.2 million annually. And all of this, with almost no impact on our own budget, the budget of the Ministry of National Defense.”

Background information    

The EIB Group   

The European Investment Bank (ElB) Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion of new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects in eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships and the savings and investment union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructures, the EIB Group crowds-in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations. 

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium size businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilizes private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs. 

In 2023, the EIF together with six member states (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands) launched the European Tech Champions Initiative, a fund of funds to scale-up innovative startups. This initiative has already enabled the creation of 13 European venture capital mega-funds and scaled up 38 companies, including 11 unicorns (with more than €1 billion in capital). 

About InvestEU

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps to crowd in private investment for the European Union’s strategic priorities such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings all EU financial instruments previously available for supporting investments within the European Union together under one roof, making funding for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub, and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is deployed through implementing partners that will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.