- Erste Group signs 200 million euro guarantee framework agreement with EIB to accelerate investments in wind energy projects across Europe
- Guarantee framework expected to unlock several hundred million euros for the green transition and economic growth
Erste Group Bank AG (Erste Group) has signed a 200 million euro guarantee framework agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) to accelerate investments in wind energy projects across the European Union (EU), becoming the first bank in Austria to join this EIB initiative.
The 200 million euro agreement is part of a 8 billion euro EU-wide guarantee program designed to strengthen the competitiveness of European wind turbine manufacturers. The agreement enables Erste Group to boost Trade Finance activities by issuing bank guarantees that are backed up to 50% by the EIB, thus unlocking additional financing for critical investments in Europe’s wind energy sector.
“Our cooperation with Erste Group sends a clear signal: Europe is serious about building its own wind capacity and keeping value creation and jobs here in Europe. With this first partnership in Austria under our EU-wide wind guarantee initiative, we are mobilising private capital at scale so that European manufacturers, suppliers and innovators can invest, grow and compete – powering the green transition with technology ‘made in Europe’,” said Karl Nehammer, EIB Vice President.
“The green transition is not only about clean energy, it’s also about supporting a resilient industrial base that can deliver it. This initiative is a catalyst for competitiveness and innovation, and we are proud to be the first Austria-based banking group to take this step.That is why we see this guarantee framework agreement as a natural extension of our commitment to sustainable growth and the decarbonization of our economy,” says Ingo Bleier, Chief Corporates & Markets Officer of Erste Group.
Strong partnership for the green transition
The EIB plays a pivotal role in Europe’s green transition by reducing investment risk and mobilizing private capital for renewable energy projects. Through programs like the Wind Power Package, the EIB helps overcome barriers such as high upfront costs and supply chain disruptions, enabling Europe to scale up clean energy production while maintaining industrial competitiveness.
The partnership between the EIB and Erste Group is a natural fit: both institutions share a strong commitment to sustainability and innovation. In 2024 alone, Erste Group supported the renewable energy industry with more than 900 million euros. By combining the EIB’s risk-sharing instruments with Erste Group’s deep expertise in financing renewable energy projects across Central and Eastern Europe, the new framework agreement helps to accelerate the development of wind power in the region and strengthen the industrial base that underpins the green transition.
About European Investment Bank
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.
About Erste Group
Erste Group is the leading financial services provider in the eastern part of the EU. Its ca. 46,000 employees serve around 17 million customers in 1,819 branches in 7 countries (Austria, Czechia, Slovakia, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia). For the first three quarters of 2025, Erste Group had 363 billion euros in total assets, posted a net profit of 2.57 billion euros, and had a common equity tier 1 ratio (pro forma) of 18.2%.