Source: eKapija | Thursday, 27.09.2018.| 14:00
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EBRD provides around EUR 10.2 million for crediting energy efficiency in Serbia

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The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) presented the Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) in Serbia yesterday. The program provides a credit line of EUR 10.2 million for all citizens for the purpose of improving energy efficiency. The credits are available at UniCredit and Erste Bank. The World Bank has around RSD 600 million (EUR 5.1 million) at its disposal.

Citizens of Serbia will be able to apply for the credits of these banks for investments in energy efficient technological solutions for their household, such as new double- and triple-glass windows, high heating efficiency boilers or thermal insulation of a facility.

Households which invest in energy efficiency, as explained, qualify for grants provided by the EU in the form of incentives of up to 20% of the investment.

Zuzana Hargitai, the EBRD director for the Western Balkans, said that the GEFF credit line in Serbia was a part of the GEFF program for the Western Balkans in the total amount of EUR 85 million. These credit lines already exist in Albania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia...

– Of the EUR 85 million set aside for the region, Serbia will get the amount equal to the demand, that is, the interest of the citizens and the local banks. So far, agreements on EUR 40 million for the Western Balkans have been signed and EUR 45 million remains – Hargitai said.

She said that she expected the program in Serbia to expand to other banks as well.

The program also provides support to the policy and the harmonization of the country's legal framework regarding the standards of the energy efficiency of a facility in line with the relevant EU directives.

Sem Fabrizi, the Head of the EU Delegation in Serbia, said that Europe focused on green economy, energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.

– This is very important for the environment and addressing the climate change issues, for energy safety and for us being less dependent on external suppliers.

Fabrizi emphasizes that energy efficiency is supposed to reduce the burden on households and that this goal was in line with Serbia's European integration.

He reminded that the goals of the EU were defined back in 2003 and that they entail the reduction of the emission of greenhouse effect gases by 40%, energy savings of 20%, that is, improving energy efficiency, and reaching a 27% share of RES in the total energy consumption.

The aim, he says, is to establish a competitive economy.

Fabrizi emphasized that Europe was the leading financier of the fight against climate change in the world and that green economy would create a large number of jobs.

– We expect to reach an economic growth of EUR 38 billion by 2030 thanks to the green economy – he said and added that the EU would gladly help Serbia establish those new energy efficiency policies.

Opportunity for sellers and producers of green technologies

Producers and sellers of energy efficient technologies meant for the housing sector can also apply for GEFF funding.

In order to make the list of products that can be financed within this credit line easily available to purchasers throughout Serbia, the EBRD has developed the Technology Selector – an online catalog of pre-selected energy efficient technologies. GEFF regularly updates the Technology Sector with new products and producers, making the process of crediting simpler. A product in the online catalog is automatically eligible for crediting.

Special fund for financing energy efficiency

Serbian Energy Minister Aleksandar Antic said that the ministry planned to establish a special fund for energy efficiency and that there were already talks with the Ministry of Finance to that end.

Antic said at the EBRD conference on GEFF in Serbia that the goal was to establish a fund which would be stronger compared to the current energy efficiency budget.

– Each dinar invested in energy efficiency will quickly pay off for the citizens – Antic said and pointed out that the ministry would provide support to the projects.

He reminded that facilities with over 150 MW had been built from RES up till then and the energy rehabilitation had been executed in over 100 public facilities.

He announced that another 200 MW from RES would be put into operation before the end of 2018.

As he says, extremely good results have been achieved in that field – savings of more than 40% in energy consumption.

When it comes to the reduction of the final energy consumption in Serbia, it needs to be reduced by 9% in the final cycle, concluding with 2018.

– The plan is for energy consumption to be reduced by 1% each year, with a special focus on energy efficiency in households, which consume around 35% of the total energy. There's plenty of room for savings there – Antic explained.

S.S.
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