Five Ukrainian companies to receive European funding for energy-efficient innovations
Five Ukrainian companies have been selected by the Climate Innovation Vouchers Program, a joint programme of the European Union (EU) and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), to develop technologies aiming at increasing energy efficiency and reducing CO2 emissions. The total funding amounts to €170,000.
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Climate Innovation Vouchers will help program awardees to boost the development, certification, and speed-up time-to-market for their GHG-reducing, resource- and energy-efficiency advancing solutions.
The winners of the third wave of the CIV projects selection are:
- PassivDom (Kyiv) – the creator of autonomous off-the-grid solar-powered 3D-printed smart Houses, suitable for use in most of climatic zones.
- Investment company «Symvol» (Kyiv) – the developer of cast-iron-based alloys for heavy-load plain bearings. The material replaces brass- and plastic-based bearings and has up to 5x longer product life. It reduces the usage of scarce or environmentally harmful components.
- Sirocco Energy (Kyiv) – the developer of low-noise linear wind generator, suitable for urban environment and roofs of buildings.
- «Lymansk» (Rybalche) – the farm looking to implement semi-circular eco-friendly aquaponics solution with fish farming unit, fertilizing the plants grown with fish waste products and significantly reducing water and energy usage.
- Go To-U (Lviv) – the creator of EV charging network management tool connecting socially and environmentally responsible HoReCa businesses with EV drivers and incentivizing electrical mobility.
According to Sergiy Maslichenko, Associate Director at the Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Team at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, said that having passed the equator of the Climate Innovation Vouchers program we’ve seen the impressive potential of Ukrainian developers of climate friendly solutions and see the clear need for launching new financial and grant products focused on developing cleantech and low-carbon economy.
Gianpiero Nacci, Deputy Head of the Energy Efficiency and Climate Change Team at EBRD, assumed that the diversity and scale of innovative solutions discovered while implementing the program are clear proof that Ukraine was the right choice to be the first country for launching EBRD Climate Innovation Vouchers. We see both significant growth potential for environmental technologies market (including the technology export potential) as well as the opportunities for developing relevant investment programs to support such growth.
Berend de Groot, Head of cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, said that the Climate Innovation Vouchers are instrumental to identify and support the most promising innovative energy and clean-tech companies, who will use the available funding to speed up their growth, thus contributing directly to the climate action, in line with our Paris commitments.
Roman Zinchenko, head of «Climate Innovation Vouchers» program and Chairman of the Board of NGO «Grencubator», noted that the results of 3rd wave of selection shows the potential of climate technologies across multiple industry verticals, as in addition to already popular directions like electrical mobility and renewables the winners represent innovations in materials, heavy machine building and housing. We expect that new players will be coming to the program, unlocking potential of sustainability and environmentally-friendly technologies.
Call for applications for the fourth stage of Climate Innovation Vouchers program is open from May 1 to July 1, 2018.
Background information
The EU-EBRD FINTECC program is designed to transfer technology in the area of climate change mitigation and adaptation. The three-year FINTECC program is supported by US$ 7 million of grant funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and a €4 million grant from the EU’s NIF.
The EU Neighborhood Investment Facility (NIF) is a mechanism aimed at mobilizing additional funding to finance capital-intensive infrastructure projects in EU partner countries which are covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) in sectors such as transport, energy, environment and social development. The NIF also supports the private sector, mainly through investment grants and risk-capital operations targeting small and medium-sized enterprises.
The EBRD is the largest international financial investor in Ukraine. To date, the Bank has made a cumulative commitment of almost €11.6 billion through 383 projects since the start of its operations in the country in 1993.
Greenсubator develops the ecosystem for sustainable entrepreneurship, climate innovations and a green economy in Ukraine. The main goal of Greenсubator is to increase the number of players and developers of climate-positive innovations for the green economy, helping them to attract investment and enter global markets and thus contribute to the growth of a low-carbon economy in Ukraine.