- The operation is being carried out under the European Commission’s European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) programme, managed by the European Investment Bank.
- The project, called Primavera, will mobilise more than €40 million over the next three years, contributing to the implementation of energy efficiency measures in around 1 900 homes.
- Total annual energy savings of 13.1 GWh.
- There will be positive impact on employment in the region, with an estimated 189 new jobs created during the implementation phase.
The European Commission, together with the European Investment Bank (EIB), is once again allocating funds for European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA). This time, it is for the Primavera project: €2.48 million in financing for Nasuvinsa (Navarra de Suelo y Vivienda, S.A.) to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy in existing residential buildings in the region. With the support of ELENA, Nasuvinsa will finance technical assistance activities (communication plan, technical studies, energy audits, feasibility studies) that will allow for the energy renovation of housing units in the region.
The ELENA programme, targeting entities across Europe, provides financial support for actions aimed at achieving greater energy efficiency and the incorporation of renewable energies. With this support, the European Union is promoting investments especially in buildings, heating networks, public lighting and clean urban transport.
The Primavera project will contribute to the implementation of energy efficiency measures in around 1 900 privately and publicly owned housing units. About 90% of the investment will be applied to privately owned buildings, while the remaining 10% will be allocated to publicly owned social housing buildings. The ultimate goal is to reduce heating-related energy use by 70%.
The project includes measures such as insulation and improvement of the building envelope (walls, roofs and floors), replacement of windows and improvement of glazing, heating, cooling, ventilation, hot water equipment and interior lighting, as well as renewable energy solutions (solar and photovoltaic panels and biomass boilers) and charging points for electric vehicles.
The expected results following the implementation of the Primavera project are a total annual energy saving of 13.1 GWh, representing a 70% reduction compared to the starting point (heating-related energy use), as well as the implementation of 0.32 GWh from renewable energy, and the reduction of CO2 emissions by 2 786 tonnes per year.
The project is expected to mobilise up to €40 million and generate a positive impact on employment, with 189 new jobs to be created during the implementation phase (up to April 2024).
EIB Vice-President Ricardo Mourinho Félix, who is responsible for the EU bank's operations in Spain, said: “We are very proud to support new measures for energy efficiency and climate change mitigation in Spain with the funding of technical assistance under the European Local Energy Assistance programme. The Primavera project will increase energy efficiency in 1 900 homes in Navarre, reducing energy use and CO2 emissions. This operation demonstrates our strong commitment to climate and environmental protection, a key objective of the EIB in Spain.”
The Vice-President of the Government of Navarre, José María Aierdi, highlighted “the decisive intervention of the public authorities in the great European challenge of recovering our cities,” and stressed that, in this area, “energy renovation is now the best way for residential buildings to make a decisive contribution to the green transition, but also to substantially improve energy savings and the quality of life of local people in their homes and their urban environments.”
Primavera will enable Nasuvinsa – part of the Government of Navarre – to finance six technical and professional teams that will drive and promote energy renovation projects in shared residential buildings, assisted by local communities and with public aid, until 2024.
European Commissioner for Energy Kadri Simson said: “I am pleased with yet another successful ELENA project, this time in Navarre. With the help of the EIB, residents will see a significant improvement of their energy efficiency and have access to greater volumes of renewable energy. This will contribute to the efforts across the EU to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030, and to ultimately become climate-neutral by 2050.”
Background information:
ELENA is a joint initiative of the European Investment Bank and the European Commission under Horizon 2020. The ELENA facility is managed by a team of experts made up of engineers and economists with extensive experience in the energy and transport sectors. Created in 2009, ELENA has granted more than €180 million in EU aid, mobilising an estimated investment of around €6.6 billion (at the end of 2019).
About Nasuvinsa SA:
Navarra de suelo y vivienda S.A. (Nasuvinsa) is a publicly owned company of the Government of Navarra responsible for providing said government with precise technical assistance in obtaining and managing public land, promoting social housing, comprehensive energy renovation and urban regeneration, industrial land management for purchase/renting and sustainable territorial development. It also has extensive experience in the development of European projects focusing on strategic areas such as urban regeneration, combating climate change and energy efficiency in residential and industrial areas.
