The EDB wins Environmental Finance's 2021 IMPACT Award for the Atyrau street lighting project

NUR-SULTAN, Kazakhstan, Sept. 14, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has won the prestigious international Environmental Finance's 2021 IMPACT Award in the energy category. The winning project is Atyrau street lighting (Kazakhstan).

The Atyrau street lighting project was completed this April. The new lighting network covers 238 streets and the Atyrau–Aktobe highway and has a total length of 242,620 metres.

The EDB extended KZT 8 billion for the development and implementation of this public-private partnership initiative. The implementing company was Batys Transit.

The project has implemented energy-efficient and energy-saving measures, including an automated outdoor lighting control system and LED lamps, which has helped to reduce maintenance costs by 36% and annual carbon dioxide emissions by 0.6828 tons.

The construction of the new street lighting network has also helped to decrease the number of road accidents in the city in the evening and at night by 44%. The number of crimes has declined by 0.5%. The energy costs of the street lighting network have been cut by 80% and maintenance costs by 36%. New streetlights have also been built on the streets that had not had street lighting before.

"The construction of the street lighting network in Atyrau has had a major environmental and social impact on life throughout the city. I am glad that the project has now been recognised internationally. Financing green energy projects is among the Bank's priorities and is in line with the ESG approaches enshrined in its new strategy. Over the past five years, we have extended significant financial support for renewable energy, energy efficiency, and waste management projects. The total investment has exceeded US $650 million," said Amangeldy Issenov, Vice Chairman of the EDB Management Board.

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) is an international financial institution promoting integration and development in its member countries. For 15 years, the Bank has worked to strengthen and broaden economic ties and foster comprehensive development in its member countries – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, and Tajikistan. The EDB's charter capital totals US $7 billion. The EDB's portfolio mainly consists of projects with an integration effect in the areas of transport infrastructure, digitalisation, green energy, agriculture, industry, and mechanical engineering. The Bank adheres to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and ESG principles in its operations.