By KYIV. Dec 8 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The European Union and the European Investment Bank (EIB) may soon offer Ukrainian municipalities another grant and loan program aimed at improving the energy efficiency of public buildings, said Oksana Kysil, the national expert of Covenant of Mayors-East in Ukraine.
"A program is expected to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings, under which there should be a credit line from the European Investment Bank, and a grant component from the EU. Even under martial law, this will work. Communities will have access to loan financing for the implementation of energy efficiency projects in the public sector," Kysil said in an interview with the Energy Reform portal during a conference dedicated to the 10th anniversary of Covenant of Mayors-East in Tbilisi.
She added that the volume of this program was previously determined at EUR300 million. However, she admitted that the amount of funds could be "slightly redirected to other needs of Ukraine because of the war."
"This is a great potential for communities, they will be able to present their projects and receive funding. And this indicates the confidence of financial institutions in Ukraine. We are in wartime and we have loan programs," Kysil emphasized.
As reported, Covenant of Mayors-East (CoM East) is a project funded by the European Union under the EU4Energy initiative, aimed at bringing together local, regional and national authorities of the Eastern Partnership countries in their desire to develop a regional policy based on the principles of sustainable energy, strengthening energy security and sustaining the global climate change movement.
