* * EBRD leading renewable energy revolution >> New 4 Energia plant in Latvia >> New projects agreed by WGBC and EBRD >> Poland hosts EBRD meeting >> Armenia to benefit from EBRD loan >> EBRD provides loan to Kobuleti >> New sewage systems brought to parts of Slovenia >> Businesswomen receive welcome boost in Croatia >> Big boost for Lithuanian e-communications market >> Regional Energy Market should be established in Baltic Region >> Czech government announces new efficiency programme >> Renewable energy hits Croatia >> EBRD investment ensures green future >> €11 million loan to provide clean water to Bosnia and Herzegovina >> Romania set for daily fines of €38,000 >> CIMC opens production plant in Poland >> Slovenia aim to reduce building’s energy usage by 30% by 2030 >> Mapei announces HUF 1bn (€3.2m) investment in Hungary >> Mátrai Erőmű opens HUF 6.5 bln. solar power plant >> Elektroprivreda Srbije (EPS) receives €200 million loan from EBRD >> Mátrai Erőmű opens HUF 6.5 bln. solar power plant >> Hungarian government, Grundfos signs strategic partnership agreement >> GVH greenlights Veolia’s purchase of GDF Suez’s plant >>Bulgaria opens new gas transmission pipeline >> EU gives Romania a due date to close and/or restore 109 landfills > Bulgaria Expects to Choose Builder of Gas Link to Romania > EIB extends backing to SME and mid-top undertakings through BS in Slovenia >WOOD-TEC 2015: 14th International Fair for Wood and Furniture Industry in Brno > Laesti raises more capital for Sauga sawmill in Pärnu, Estonia > Poland’s BZ WBK Lease gets loan of €50 million for sustainable energy projects >Bosch invests HUF 9.3 billion in plant expansion > EBRD increases backing for sustainable energy in the Slovak Republic > EBRD targets increased energy savings in Ukraine >> EBRD and EU aim to and develop the water and wastewater services in Romania’s Ilfov County >> Enea to purchase an additional wind farm in CEE >> UPB Energy to build a EUR 30 biomass energy plant in Latvia >> REC celebrates 25 years, embarks on route for the foreseeable future >> Low-carbon city forum focuses on green development >> WIL has many years of expertise in the tyre recycling business >>EBRD and EU look to improve Kazakhstan’s long term source of water >> REC celebrates 25 years, embarks on route for the foreseeable future >> WIL has many years of expertise in the tyre recycling business > RWE to expand wind power portfolio in Poland > Environment : EU Commission brings POLAND and SLOVENIA to The court for e-waste failings >EUR 35 mln will be invested in a Romanian eco-residential complex >> Brodosplit Shipyard in the Adriatic port of Split >> EBRD Transition Report 2013: Emerging economies can break through reform stagnation >> Finish company Fiskars thanks MOL for 350% increase in sales >> Ikea largest store in Poland is completed in Wrocław >> EBRD extends extra €15 million to Raiffeisenbank (Bulgaria) for energy efficiency projects >> Growth returns to Central Europe as eurozone exits recession >> EBRD considers financing first major wind farm in Kazakhstan >> Immochan plans to build shopping centers in CEE >> Swiss electric giant LEM opened a new high-tech factory in Bulgaria >>EBRD lends Rb 1.7 billion to UniCredit Leasing Russia for energy efficiency >> Water supply and wastewater treatment in mid-sized municipalities in Serbia funded >> EBRD strengthens drive for energy efficiency >> Agreements with close Kazakhstan , Agreements with Taiwan developing >> Taiwan working closer with the EBRD on investments in Central Eastern Europe to help find Partners >> EBRD and Ministry support small business in Russian Far East >> Germany building a lead in Ukraine >> Enel Green Power builds a new interconnected PV plant in Romania >> Joint IFI Action Plan for Growth prepares emerging Europe for “competitive and prosperous future” >> China and Poland now connected by new Cargo Train links >> Poland the best economic performer in Europe during the last 20 years >> Poland:luxury goods sales increasing in Poland >> IFIs on track to deliver on investments for growth in Central and South Eastern Europe >> EBRD hails success of St. Petersburg clean river project >> EBRD channels €15.5 million to support major biomass project in Ukraine >> E-Commerce giant investing in Poland >> EBRD co-finances expansion of PEPSA wind farms in Poland >> Is Emerging Europe becoming a “new safe haven”? >> Eastern Partnership transport ministers meet at EIB >> EIB continues to support the upgrading of Sofia’s municipal infrastructure >> EIB supports more efficient power generation and emissions reductions in Russia >>EBRD backs Russian oil-field services company’s Eurobond >> EBRD supports renewable energy project in southern Ukraine >> EBRD President seeks more Asian investment in EBRD region >>New Trade and Banking deals between China and Hungary >> Taiwan Taipei China and the EBRD >> China Invests more into Bulgaria >> EBRD steps up support for energy efficiency investments in Belarus >> Clean water for Romania’s Bihor county >> EBRD issues US$ 250 million “Green Bond” >> Water and wastewater modernisation in Dolj >> EBRD supports bottled water producer in Azerbaijan >> Report: The Waste Water Industry of Poland >> Hyundai looking to invest in Waste Treatment in Serbia >> EBRD invests in Russian IT outsourcing provider MAYKOR >> Joint investment with the Russian Direct Investment Fund and CapMan Russia II Fund >> €10 million loan for Albania’s Credins Bank >> Garbage Management Is a Problem in Russia >> Eastern Europe countries must invest in the economic upturn-GfK >> EBRD supports energy efficiency lending and trade >> Serbia’s economy reindustrialization strategy includes the development of IT >> Rompetrol wins US$1.1bn contract to modernise Kazakh refinery >> EBRD helps Ecoprod generate power from biogas >> The largest oil and gas mine in Poland launched >> Ukraine government approves Energy Strategy until 2030 >> Romania aims to raise €600m from Romgaz IPO in November 2013 >> Non-residents’ direct investment in Romania estimated at EUR 666 million >> EBRD helps Ecoprod generate power from biogas Ukrainian agribusiness firm turns waste into electricity >> US-based AECOM and South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction are interested in developing major Romanian infrastructure projects >> Energy efficiency investments to boost Podravka’s competitiveness >> Alstom was awarded a €100 million contract to supply 6 Francis turbine-generator units and auxiliaries in Albania >>> €190 million in loans for wood processor Kronospan Funding for facilities in Belarus and Russia to develop forestry sector >> EBRD boosts COSMOTE in Romania’s 4G race €225 million loan for better infrastructure in telecoms sector >> Improving the sustainability of SPAR Slovenija EBRD to provide to €40 million loan to support retailer’s development >> Germany will provide EUR 35 million in support for two energy projects of FYR Macedonian Power Plants >> New EBRD loan encourages Romanian SMEs to invest in energy efficiency €10 million to UniCredit Tiriac Bank to help the private sector cut energy bills >> EBRD finances water supply improvements in Yerevan €5.4 million to rehabilitate water supply infrastructure operated by Yerevan Djur CJSC >> EBRD 10-year loan for main city on Sakhalin island First major investment in decades for district heating system EBRD is driving energy efficiency in Moldovan households >> Romania passes law backing Nabucco gas pipeline project >> Hungary, Austria, Romania and Bulgaria back Nabucco West over TAP rival >> EDF plans €300m investment in Rybnik plant modernisation (Poland) >> Romania approves cut in green certificates and renewable incentives >> EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti says corruption is deterring investment >> FYR Macedonia investment opportunities presented in Malaysia >> GE is Helping Europe to Improve Grid Efficiency, Enable Optimum Asset Management and Enhance Active Network Control >> 6 million Euro Albanian gas power plant will export 70 % of the plants production >> Serbia, Czech Republic start environmental protection cooperation >> An integrated biorefinery for processing crustacean shell waste into specialty and fine chemicals underway > Gasmet: Advanced Gas Detection Technology Supports Arctic Greenhouse Gas Research >> EBRD steps up support for Romanian SMEs >> EBRD supports Montenegro’s power grid upgrade, link to Italy >> EBRD energy efficiency funding for Russian homes >> Financing sustainable energy investments for Bulgarian business EBRD supporting energy efficiency in Slovak Republic >>> €10.3 million extra for Shymkent wastewater modernisation in Kazakhstan >>> Warsaw and Vienna exchanges discuss merging to create CEE share trading hub >>> Donor funding for environmental investments in Belarus >> EU-funded project will reduce electromagnetic field exposure by 50% >>Serbia's industrial production increases by 13% >> A snapshot of ICT in Serbia >> In the starting blocks >> Poland listed as one of Europe's windiest locations >>> AIR POLLUTION Warsaw Entry forbidden >>> Donor funding for environmental investments in Belarus >>> Chinese engage companies from Bosnia Herzegovina for Stanari power plant >>> EIB may lend $1.2 bln for Romanian projects in 2013 >>> EBRD contributes to safety of Ukraine’s nuclear power stations >>> EMS takes on eastern European auto supply busines >>> Taiwan, EBRD ink green investments pact >>> EIB supports modernisation of air traffic management infrastructure in Ukraine >>> EIB and EBRD to support completion of TES-Thermal Power Plant Sostanj project >>> EIB and BCR continue to support SMEs, midcaps and municipalities in Romania >>> EBRD President Chakrabarti visits Taipei >>> EBRD and partners explore next-generation biofuels >>> EBRD strengthens capital base of Siauliu bank >>> Bulgaria’s Biomashin attracts EBRD support 3 New Wind Farms For Romania >>> EBRD invests in Lithuanian port’s future as major hub >>> Biggest ever EIB loan in Slovenia: EUR 500 million for co-financing with EU Funds >>> EBRD adopts new Russia strategy for 2013-2015 >>> EBRD lends to Ukraine’s Coal Energy >>> EBRD boosts support for Belarus banking partner >>> EBRD channels safer drinking water to more of Tajikistan >>> Head of the EU Delegation: Serbia and EU to commence accession talks soon >>> New Joint IFI Action Plan for Growth in Central and South Eastern Europe >>> Poland to get new 53 MW wind farm in Kukinia: EBRD finances a new wind farm and supports the existing one in Tychowo EIB reinforces its support for upgrading Poland’s energy distribution network >>> EIB supports SMEs in Romania with EUR 45 million >>> Hungary: EIB continues to support smaller private companies with EUR 100 million >>> Leasings up in CEE >>> Romania has 750MW of wind farms in testing stage >>> Serbia's Energy Minister announced new incentive tariffs for the production of electricity from renewable energy sources Major new gas plant in Lithuania to replace lost nuclear power >>> EBRD funds Continental’s Russian tyre plant >>> The EU agreement on climate Polish law AAU emission units defended >>> STRABAG to build Europe’s most modern waste treatment plant in Ljubljana >>> EU greenhouse gases in 2011: more countries on track to meet Kyoto targets, emissions fall 2.5 % >>> Protected areas have increased to cover one fifth of Europe’s land >>> EBRD: world’s major waste - flaring gas - could be turned into profit >>> Valcea, Romania, to upgrade water and wastewater services with EBRD loan >>> EBRD directors visit Poland >>> EBRD to finance its first solar power project >>> EBRD unleashes energy efficiency potential of Ukraine’s district heating sector >>> New EBRD financing facility for residential energy efficiency projects in Moldova >>> Giving old tyres a new life >>> Serbia - RWE and EPS (Serbia) sign collaboration agreements >>> Two new hydropower plants in Albania >>> Poland - RAG (Austria) signs deal with GazSystem for gas storage in Poland >>> Poland - Enea signs EPC contract for 1,075 MW supercritical plant (Poland) >>> Ukraine - Ukraine starts construction of 750 kV transmission line >>> Ukraine - Ukraine receives €200m loan for 22 hydropower projects (980 MW) >>> Bosnia - RWE will develop 210 MW of run-of-river capacity in Bosnia >>> ... Slovakia spends 33 mln eur on car-scrapping subsidy ... EBRD helps boost green energy use in Poland >>> ... EBRD reiterates Poland's 2011 GDP growth forecast at 3.8% >>> Geomorphological Secrets Yana River Basin Revealed >>> Imtech: strong further growth in Poland, broad palette of new orders >>> WÄRTSILÄ INTERIM REPORT JANUARY-JUNE 2011 >>> Outotec >>> Hungary 'should focus on CO2 cuts outside ETS' >>> We cannot afford to waste energy and raw materials – the informal meeting of the EU Competitiveness Council with Minister Andrzej Kraszewski. >>> Smart meter producers report huge increase for shipments in CEE region
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Wind energy in Poland: The market everybody's looking at
2010-05-17 00:00:00
WBJ sits down with Clara B Alvarez, managing director at ING Commercial Banking, Utilities Finance - Power, to talk about investing in wind energy projects in Poland

Poland is finally being properly perceived, according to ING's Clara B Alvarez
Courtesy of ING Commercial Banking

Martyna Olik: Could you describe the process of financing a wind-energy project?

Clara B Alvarez: We get all sorts of potential clients, but the usual client for us is the large corporate client. They come to us with a project that is usually very well developed, very much advanced, that they are hoping to be able to finance within the next four to six months. When we’re talking about projects that are located in places like Poland, companies usually come to us earlier, because they want help and advice on how to get the thing done in an environment that is usually new to them.

The companies are very good at the technical part, but when they get into a new regulatory environment there’s always a big question about whether that new environment is going to be bankable. We access the project and whatever information they give us and then we determine if the project could potentially meet the requirements that we need for bankability. We focus on the quality of due diligence, the technical, environmental and engineering issues, the wind resources, legal framework and … what kind of financing it will allow us to put in place.

Is due diligence done differently in Poland than in the West?

Yes, that is the challenge in Poland for international companies that come here to develop their projects. They realize that the due diligence is in many of the cases short of what they would have done in other countries or of what they are used to.

In what sense?

The quality, the kind of work that is being done, the depth of the investigation in terms of, for example, the geological study of the site. That is something that is often missing – the studies are not of good quality or are very superficial.

Wind resource data and the quality of this is questionable in many projects. It takes quite some time to get that data properly because the standards of financing require on-site wind data measurement for at least 12 months. That is the standard for project financing [set] by international banks. It’s been proven that even that is not enough, that sometimes 18 months is required, depending on the area. …

We require an entire year at the very least and then there has to be long-term data from another source used as a reference to cross-check the correlation and derive long-term projections. And in Poland that data is not as easy to obtain as it is in other countries.

Because of a lack of experts? Inexperienced regulators?

I think it’s just a new industry. Wind energy is an everyday thing in countries like Germany or Spain, but not in other countries. It sounds easier than it really is – it’s quite a complicated business that requires a lot of technical expertise.

What other challenges are there in Poland?

Well there is one very interesting aspect. Some companies don’t have local presence in Poland. And it’s only when it’s been months and they cannot get things done that they realize that having a local aspect to their team is vital. Vital is not even the word – it’s critical to have Polish staff. The firm will get nothing done otherwise.

The way things are done, how you prepare the information package, how you deal with the staff at the department that issues the permits – that requires a cultural element that is really important. And people miss that point.

How many Polish projects have you invested in so far?

I have been looking at projects constantly since 2007. We are just now working on our first Polish project.

We have looked through many other projects. Several failed because the equity investor withdrew, because in due diligence they found something that was not feasible to solve within the near future, or because when they looked exactly at the wind resource they realized that the data was not reliable and they couldn’t close the business on that. And the economic crisis is also an issue – it didn’t hit Poland nearly as hard as Western Europe, but the investors come from there.

How does the Polish market compare to others in CEE?

It’s the best in CEE. Wind resources are very good, the legal framework is the most regulated and well established. From the start the framework was very clear and good.

But if we compare investing in wind in Poland to Romania or Bulgaria, Poland is way ahead. You can see the figures of international investors who really try hard to get something done in Poland. They want to invest here, but it takes time because of the way the permitting process is done here. The wind regime is good; not wonderful I’m not going to compare it to the wind regime in Spain or Germany, but it’s good. And it’s enough for a good return on equity.

But as you say, only one project for now.

Because it is difficult. The quality of due diligence is vital, and international banks have very clear parameters when it comes to that – it’s critical to assess the economics of the project and its ability to make money to repay the loan. That needs to be proven beyond reasonable doubt.

Will Poland reach its 2020 renewable energy goal?

At this pace? It’s going to be difficult. Poland will have to accelerate. And the first thing you have to do is to provide clarity with respect to the timeline for the quotas on renewable power requirements from distribution companies. Because right now the quotas are only until 2017. Nowhere does it say that that’s the end, but there is still a question mark.

What can Poland do to speed up the investment process?

Prepare the post-2017 regulations, improve the grants system by making the process clearer. There is no handbook that tells you exactly what to do and when – you have to ask and check what others have done. Also, the permit process needs to be more efficient and uniform.

Poland is finally being properly perceived in terms of better quality of risk, financing-wise. One thing that helped Poland was the economic crisis. The figures show that Poland remained very stable – that was proof positive for those who still needed it, that Poland is a very large and very promising economy.

It’s now the market that everybody’s looking at.


From Warsaw Business Journal by Martyna Olik