In the years ahead, the public and private sectors will invest billions of euros in the environment and nature, sustainable energy production and energy conservation, in response to government policy and national and international agreements.The ‘Green Project Facility’ (Regeling Groenprojecten) is one of the tools created by the Dutch government to stimulate projects with a positive environmental impact.It is a joint scheme of the Ministries of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment; Finance; Economic Affairs; and Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality.
The Facility offers unique and attractive opportunities for anyone looking to finance green, sustainable projects.Projects that meet the scheme’s criteria qualify for a ‘Green Certificate’ and hence for green financing,which is provided at a rate of interest that is generally 1% less than normal.The lower rate usually applies for up to 10 years, and in some cases for even longer.This is possible because sustainable investors and savers are willing to accept lower returns, which are then offset through the tax system, so that private investors still achieve a very attractive total return.
In other words, Fortis Groenbank raises its own green capital from the retail saving market and then lends it out to finance green projects.Green loans are granted to businesses, institutions, public and semi-public sector bodies and private individuals,provided that the project in question is Dutch.
Fortis Groenbank B.V. is headquartered in the Netherlands and is licensed in its own right by the Dutch central bank.It works closely with Fortis Bank’s various business lines.If you would like to apply for green financing for a project you are developing or that you manage, you should talk to Fortis Groenbank.Together with your (future) Fortis account manager, Fortis Groenbank will then turn your project plan (plus an investment plan) into a Green Certificate application,which it will submit on your behalf.
SenterNovem or the Implementation Department (Dienst Regelingen) will review the project and issue the Green Certificate within approximately six weeks.Fortis Groenbank can then go ahead with the financing.In principle, we apply a lower limit of one million euros as the minimum green investment.
Green financing is available for the following broad categories:
- Sustainable energy projects (wind, sun and geothermal energy, biomass and biofuels)
- Sustainable home-building and renovation
- (Highly) sustainable utility construction
- Soil remediation
- Agrification
- Nature, woodland and landscape creation
- Organic agriculture
- ‘Green Label’ greenhouses and closed greenhouse systems
- Cycle-path infrastructure
- Other projects
If you would like to know more about the green financing options for your projects, please contact your account manager.