NIB provides EUR 25m for wastewater treatment in Belarus

NIB and the Republic of Belarus have signed a loan agreement aimed at the reconstruction and upgrade of wastewater treatment plants in the cities of Grodno and Brest.

The loan for improvements in wastewater treatment in western Belarus is the Bank’s first project in this country after NIB and Belarusian authorities signed a framework agreement in June 2010. The loan agreement totals EUR 25 million and has a 15-year maturity.

“Both cities discharge their wastewater into major rivers of the Baltic Sea catchment area. Therefore the standards and equipment used in Belarus for wastewater treatment are the matter of the health of the Baltic Sea. As agreed earlier, NIB will fulfil its mission in Belarus by financing urgent environmental needs that have a significant direct impact on the Baltic Sea region,” says Henrik Normann, NIB President & CEO.

Currently, due to inefficient wastewater treatment, Grodno and Brest are among the polluting hot spots included in the list of the Helsinki Commission (HELCOM). The cities discharge their treated wastewater into the rivers Neman and Bug, correspondingly. After the project implementation the wastewater plants in Grodno and Brest will comply with the HELCOM recommendations for nutrient removal and treatment efficiency.

“We see the upgrade of the wastewater plants in Grodno and Brest as a major step towards the adjustment of wastewater treatment in Belarus to the HELCOM recommendations for nutrient removal and treatment efficiency,” says Mikhail Durkin, Professional Secretary, HELCOM.

The projects in Grodno and Brest have been prepared under the umbrella of the Environmental Framework Facility in co-operation with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development which provides a loan totalling EUR 18 million for wastewater treatment in three other cities discharging into rivers flowing into the Baltic Sea.

The NIB-financed projects will also receive grant funds from the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership (NDEP) and the governments of Finland and Sweden.

The Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) is the common international financial institution of the eight Nordic and Baltic countries. NIB provides long-term financing to projects that strengthen competitiveness and enhance the environment. NIB has the highest possible credit rating, AAA/Aaa, with the leading rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.

For further information, please contact

NIB

Ms Kersti Talving, Senior Manager Lending, at +358 10 618 0245,

Mr Dimitrijs Alehins, Senior Communications Specialist, at +358 10 618 0296,

HELCOM

Mr Mikhail Durkin, Professional Secretary, HELCOM, at +358 46 850 9195,