AUB News

Today on Ukrainian Radio, Andriy Dubas, President of the Association of Ukrainian Banks, spoke about a new initiative of the banking sector aimed at supporting Ukraine's energy independence.

During the program, the signing of a memorandum on preferential lending in the energy sector, which was signed by 17 largest Ukrainian banks, was discussed.

According to the President of the Association, the memorandum provides for the provision of preferential loans for the purchase of generators, gas turbine and gas piston plants, biogas plants, solar panels and wind farms.
The UBA President believes that this initiative will allow enterprises to reduce their dependence on centralized energy supply and provide themselves with alternative energy sources.

The program discussed issues related to loan terms. For microenterprises, the loan amount can reach half a million euros, for small businesses - from one million to one and a half million euros, and for medium-sized and corporate businesses - from 10 to 25 million euros. An important advantage is that companies can receive loans covering up to 90% of the cost of the installation, which greatly simplifies the procedure for obtaining financing.

According to Andriy Dubas, during the full-scale invasion, Ukraine lost 9.3 gigawatts of generating capacity. This is equivalent to one million medium-sized generators, which has significantly affected the country's energy stability. The AUB President emphasized the importance of supporting enterprises in the context of the energy crisis, which will help reduce the load on the centralized energy system and ensure the stability of energy supply.

Andriy Dubas also noted that banks have sufficient liquidity that can be effectively used to finance energy projects. The free liquidity of banks is used by the National Bank of Ukraine through certificates of deposit or by the Ministry of Finance through domestic government bonds.

The program also discussed the terms of preferential lending for businesses. For example, companies can purchase generators or other energy facilities with credit funds, which greatly facilitates the process of financing such projects. The loan funds will be used to cover the cost of purchasing and installing the equipment, and companies will be able to pay for the loan as electricity.

The AUB President emphasized that this initiative is an important step to support the country's economy in the face of war and energy crisis. He also called on international partners to help Ukraine provide the necessary equipment for generating plants, as the ordering and manufacturing process can take from six months to a year and a half.