EIB Advisory support Greece in designing energy solutions and charging infrastructure for electric buses in Athens

• Advisory support to Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and OSY S.A.
• Agreement to support preparation of renewable energy, storage and charging investments
• Assignment includes project preparation and capacity building

The European Investment Bank has, over the past 8 years, been supporting the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and OSY in the progressive expansion of the Athens bus fleet with electric vehicles.  This transition is increasing electricity demand and warrants a need for a long-term investment plan for energy supply and management in bus depots. In response, the European Investment Bank Advisory Team (EIB Advisory) will work with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and OSY S.A. to develop a programme that will ensure that energy needs and charging infrastructure will be delivered to support ongoing investment in electric buses in Athens.

The initiative was launched following a request from the Ministry and OSY SA, with the aim of strengthening the preparation and implementation of a complex investment programme. The Ministry will contribute by aligning the programme with national priorities in transport and energy.

With the support of the EIB Advisory, available technologies and delivery strategies will be assessed, actions will be programmed, and implementation procedures will be prepared. At the same time, potential financing solutions will be explored, and the preparation of related tenders will be supported.

“The transition to cleaner urban transport requires thorough preparation and reliable planning. Through this cooperation, the EIB Advisory is supporting Greece in developing solutions that contribute to more sustainable and efficient public transport,” said EIB Vice-President Yannis Tsakiris.

“We are radically renewing the bus fleet in Attica. In the coming days, we will reach a total of 1,076 new buses in Athens. However, renewal does not stop at the vehicles; it also requires the appropriate infrastructure. In cooperation with the European Investment Bank, we are moving forward with the development of modern energy infrastructure at bus depots, ensuring that the new buses can be charged reliably, at lower cost, and with a more environmentally friendly footprint. This translates into substantial savings of resources for the benefit of taxpayers, along with a cleaner city,” stated the Deputy Minister of Transport, Konstantinos Kyranakis.

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.