The EBRD will help Ternopil with transport and heat supply
24 January 08:49
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a €10 million loan to Ternopilelektrotrans for the purchase of energy-efficient trolleybuses. This was reported by the EBRD, according to "Komersant Ukrainian".
As noted in the report, “the loan will increase the sustainability and efficiency of the city’s electric transport infrastructure, reduce emissions, and support the city’s residents, including about 30,000 displaced persons who were forced to leave their homes due to the war in Ukraine unleashed by Russia.”
The loan is co-financed by a €4 million investment grant from Canada through the EBRD’s High Impact Climate Action Partnership and is accompanied by a 25% guarantee from the Spanish government. The city will also contribute at least €1 million.
The EBRD financing will help Ternopilelektrotrans upgrade its outdated fleet by purchasing up to 39 new energy-efficient low-floor trolleybuses along with repair and diagnostic equipment, and improve the power supply for rolling stock by modernizing the substation. The project will reduce annual carbon emissions.
The new trolleybuses will be equipped with surveillance cameras, which will contribute to greater safety of passengers, especially women and children who are at higher risk of gender-based violence and harassment.
Partners will help the city modernize its heating system
Ternopilmiskteplocomunenergo, the municipal utility company that provides district heating services in the city, will receive a €3 million grant from the EBRD under the Eastern European Energy Efficiency and Environment Partnership Fund, which was established by international donors to co-finance investments in Ukraine’s municipal sector. This grant will bring the total amount of grant financing provided by the Fund for the city’s heating sector to €8 million.
The additional grant is intended to co-finance the modernization of the heating system and the introduction of a distributed energy generation system based on renewable energy sources. This change, supported by the re-allocated EBRD funds, will strengthen Ternopil’s district heating system and ensure sustainable energy supply in the face of the war and the resulting damage to energy infrastructure.
How the EBRD has been helping Ukraine in recent years
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022, the EBRD has already disbursed more than €5.4 billion to Ukraine, including more than €1.6 billion this year, focusing on supporting energy security, critical infrastructure, food security, trade, the private sector and reforms.
In 2023, the EBRD’s shareholders approved a €4 billion capital increase to maintain current investment levels and further increase in the post-war recovery phase.
