- Access to finance
- Transition to a climate-neutral economy
- Support of SMEs
Aizdevums uzņēmumu energoefektivitātei
Corporate energy efficiency loan
Coverage/Eligibility
The applying company and its owner must have no up-to-date records of debts in the bank of Latvia's credit register, other debtors' registers, and no current tax debt to the state revenue service.
Companies are not eligible if they meet the criteria for opening insolvency proceeding, or they have been declared insolvent by a court.
The loan is especially relevant for companies if energy consumption is a significant cost item and exceeds €20,000 per year, for example for:
- Food producers, woodworking and metalworking companies.
- Shopping and sports centres, warehouses, hotels, office buildings.
- Large companies and large energy consumers affected by the energy efficiency act.
Main characteristics
Altum, a state-owned development finance institution, is offering a loan for company energy efficiency and implementation of renewable energy projects. The loan can be used to improve companies' energy efficiency, including:
- Modernisation of heating systems.
- Modernisation of existing production facilities.
- Modernisation of transport.
- Modernisation of ventilation, drying, heat, cold, steam production equipment, dryers, motors, pumps.
- LED lighting.
- Electricity supply equipment as well as other energy consumers.
- The installation of renewable energy systems.
A company might use the loan to refinance existing projects or to purchase used equipment.
The loan conditions are:
- Amount may be up to €2,850,000 and up to 85% of total project cost.
- Duration from 5 to 14 years;
- To be repayable through project saving.
- Absence of collateral - security is an option.
Funding for ALTUM comes from an €18 million loan from the European Investment Bank and from €3 million guarantees from the private finance for energy efficiency (PF4EE) instrument. Some other funding comes from green bonds issued by ALTUM itself.
Funding
- National funds
- European funds
- European Funds
- Other
Involved actors
National government
Ministry of Economics, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Agriculture are shareholders of ALTUM. Other
ALTUM - a state-owned development finance institution. European Investment Bank.
Effectiveness
The loan programme is in place since 1 November 2017. Up to July 2020 there are 45 approved loans for total amount around €20 million, the smallest approved project is €11,500, the largest approved amounts to €2,850,000, while the average project size is €497,000.
Strengths
This loan programme is in place specifically for 'green' projects.
Weaknesses
No information available.
Examples
Sources
- ALTUM (undated), Loan for energy efficiency of companies, web page
- ALTUM (2017), 'Latvian development Finance Institution Altum will issue EUR 20m Green bonds', press release, 9 October
- Labs of Latvia (2020), 'ALTUM support allows to improve the energy efficiency of the plant', press release, 4 June
- ALTUM (2020), ALTUM and EIB join forces for energy efficiency investments in Latvia, press release, 27 February
Eurofound welcomes feedback and updates on this regulation
Add new comment