The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) investment in Poland reached a record €990 million in 2022 compared to €600 million in 2021, reported the EBRD. This volume of investment made Poland the EBRD’s fourth largest market last year. 80 % of the projects supported by the bank relate to low-carbon transformation, including sustainable transport.

“EBRD support has helped Polish capital markets and industry weather the turbulence caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, but it is also important that the vast majority of our funds stimulate a green, closed-loop economy”, said Elisabetta Falcetti, EBRD director for Central Europe based in Warsaw.

The bank’s largest investment in Poland last year was the subscription to the PLN 800 million (€170 million) green bonds of Cyfrowy Polsat. The company intends to invest the funds raised in this way in the renewable energy sector.

The EBRD also provided a €100m loan for the construction of a new container terminal in the port of Gdańsk. It was noted that this is the only port in the Baltic Sea that handles ultra-large container ships. The investment will help reduce emissions and diversify export routes from Poland to neighbouring countries, including Ukraine.

The EBRD has also invested a total of €126 million in renewable energy developers, including: EUR 45 million in solar energy, EUR 30.7 million in wind energy and EUR 50 million in green bonds. According to the bank’s estimates, this will translate into 300 MW of new renewable generation capacity.

It was also noted that Poland has become the first country to implement the EBRD’s new Supply Chain Solutions Framework programme. As communicated, this is a pilot framework project operating in cooperation with Santander Factoring to support the Żabka shop chain by providing affordable financing to suppliers.

Adrian Andrzejewski