The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Societe Generale launched a pioneering plan to unlock some €8bn in investment, supporting wind energy manufacturers across the continent. To this end, the EIB will provide a €500m counter-guarantee to Societe Generale which will use such backing to launch a portfolio of bank guarantees to the tune of €1billion.
Mobilizing Investment for the Green Transition
The EIB’s counter-guarantee will trigger an important leverage effect, drawing even more funding from other sources to develop more wind energy production in Europe. This partnership addresses the key problems of cost and fluctuating demand that affect supply chains, pushing wind energy producers toward a green economy transition. This program supports the high renewable energy objective of the European Union, with a specific requirement of 45% of generating energy from sources of renewable within 2030.
EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle said, “Wind energy plays a pivotal role in achieving Europe’s energy independence. However, producers are currently navigating significant challenges, including elevated costs, fluctuating demand, lengthy permitting processes, supply chain disruptions, and intense global competition.”
He added, “This agreement underscores the effectiveness of the EIB’s risk-sharing instruments in addressing these obstacles, enabling the funding of essential projects that drive the green transition, support the decarbonization of the European economy, and strengthen industrial competitiveness.”
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Part of the EIB’s €5 Billion Wind Power Package
The EIB’s €5 billion wind power package, which was first announced at COP28 in 2023, includes this new initiative as part of its strategy. Earlier in this year, it mobilized the package, emphasizing the German and Italian wind energy schemes, marking a giant step toward Europe’s renewable energy targets. The EIB’s wind power scheme aims to promote the generation of 32 gigawatts of wind capacity, which falls within the overall European Union’s ambition of securing 117 GW of wind capacity by 2030.