Poland. Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego

Date of agreement:03 Dec 2012
Country:Poland
Customer:Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego
Amount in EUR:EUR 100 million
Maturity:30 years
NACE sector / loan type:Construction

Project

The loan has been provided for the construction of a 37-kilometre stretch of the A1 motorway between the towns of Strykow and Tuszyn in central Poland.

The section, which is included in the Trans-European North-South Motorway Project, will be built as part of a toll motorway with a speed limit set at 120 kilometres per hour. The construction work is planned to start during the first quarter of 2012 and to be completed during the third quarter of 2013. The A1 motorway runs from Gdansk via cities of Torun, Lodz, Czestochowa and Katowice to the border with the Czech Republic.

The borrower, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, is the state development bank of Poland. It supports government social and economic programmes as well as local and regional government initiatives within the development of infrastructure and the SME sector.

Fulfilment of NIB's mandate

Well-organised and extensive road connections are vital for securing the efficient flow of goods between countries. The A1 motorway is part of the Trans European Road Network. The road already carries a large volume of international transport; however, it has many bottlenecks. By removing the bottlenecks, transportation between the Nordic Baltic region and other parts of Europe will be faster, safer and less expensive. The project will thus contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of NIB’s member countries.

In the period 2005–2008, NIB provided two loans for the construction of the A1 motorway stretch from Gdansk to Torun.

Sustainability summary

This is a project with a potentially extensive environmental and/or social impact (category A, read more)

The main environmental impacts of roads include the conversion of natural forest and cultivated land as well as other local effects such as noise, water pollution, habitat destruction/disturbance and local air quality; and the wider effects which include climate change from vehicle emissions. Social issues of major importance are the land issues and involuntary resettlement.

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been developed and accepted by competent environmental authorities. The Environmental Consent Decisions were issued in 2009.

The implementation of the project will increase the emissions of greenhouse gases. Based on modelling, the content of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide might exceed the ambient air quality standard in the motorway corridor as well as in its vicinity. The actual concentrations will be followed up with measurements.

Press release
03.12.2012

NIB provides new loan to A1 motorway in Poland

Press release

Nordycki Bank Inwestycyjny udziela nowego kredytu na budowę autostrady A1 w Polsce