The Croatian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (HBOR) has outlined the requirements for a new loan programme to boost corporate energy efficiency. From 2026 onwards, the initiative will support projects that enhance energy performance as well as the installation of renewable power systems, primarily photovoltaic units.
Partial loan forgiveness available
The programme offers low-interest loans, with the option of partial loan forgiveness of between 15 and 50 percent of the borrowed amount. To qualify, companies must meet defined criteria.
A total of €150 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) has been allocated to the programme. Participating commercial banks are contributing an additional €125 million, including Raiffeisenbank, OTB Bank, Erste Bank, Privredna banka Zagreb and Hrvatska poštanska banka.
Measures have to be sucessful
Small, medium and large enterprises in the manufacturing, trade and service sectors are eligible to apply. A key condition is that applicants must have a registered office in Croatia at the time the loan agreement is signed.
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For manufacturing companies, supported projects must reduce energy consumption by at least 20 percent compared with a reference value. In the trade and service sectors, a 30 percent reduction is required to qualify. For energy-efficient refurbishment of office buildings or production processes, energy use must be reduced by 50 percent to receive loan support.
Co-financing by commercial banks
Companies can apply for loans of up to €3 million for energy-efficient refurbishment, conversion of production processes, or the installation of photovoltaic and other renewable energy systems. Each loan is financed equally by the ERDF and participating commercial banks. If partial loan forgiveness is approved, this share is fully covered by ERDF funds. No interest is charged on the ERDF-financed portion, while the interest rate for the commercial bank share is determined through a tender process.
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The full loan terms are available on the HBOR website. (su)
