VIPA joined the EU project - boosting efficient energy policy in the region

2016-06-30

On 30 June, 2016 JSC Viešųjų investicijų plėtros agentūra (i.e. Public Investment Development Agency, hereafter - VIPA),  organized a meeting informing the stakeholders that on 1 April, 2016, together with organizations from other six members of the European Union (EU), it had joined the BUILD2LC project “Boosting Low Carbon Innovative Building Rehabilitation in European Regions” of the European territorial cooperation programme “Interreg Europe”. The goal of the project is creating new funding models in the country, that are necessary for the formation of efficient energy market, and carrying out SWOT analysis as well as preparing an Action Plan for boosting energy efficiency in the region.

Priority is to increase energy efficiency

Working together with partners from the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Croatia, Sweden and Slovenia, VIPA will carry out a SWOT analysis to find out examples of good energy efficiency practices in Lithuania, naming their main strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Consequently, it will prepare an action plan for boosting efficient energy consumption in the region. Each country will perform its own research all of which will be combined into one study on energy.

“The main goal of the project participants and organizers is to renovate buildings in the EU states, according to the data of the carried out analyses, thus increasing energy efficiency and decreasing its consumption. We will also seek to form energy consumption policy that would help to make better conditions for creating a specialized company market in this sector, applying successful practices of other EU states for that purpose”, -Gvidas Dargužas, head of VIPA.

According to G. Dargužas, this project is relevant for Lithuania as it will help to create and identify new financial means of efficient energy, encourage innovative solutions and investment in the construction sector, as wll as significantly increase public awareness in the field of energy and define or remove potential obstacles related to legal limitations.

A lot of attention to the environment and energy

“By participating in this project we will become a part of interregional collaboration, improve regional development policy in the field of innovation, knowledge economy, environment and hazard prevention, also contribute to the European economic modernization and boosting of its greater competitiveness”, - Gvidas Dargužas, head of VIPA, expressed his happiness.

Throughout the project, during 2016-2020 period, VIPA will aim to attract the Ministries of Finance, Environment and Energy of Lithuania, the Energy Agency, the Lithuanian Energy Institute, ESCO LT, Lithuanian Builders Association (that has 161 member company), and other organizations, conducting activities in the energy sector to participate in the project.

The project is divided into two phases. The first phase will involve the 7 participants of the project sharing their good practices and creating action plans for individual regions. Accordingly, the second phase will involve implementation of made action plans and monitoring of that implementation.

The total value of the project is 1,659,000 euro of which 187,000 euro was granted to VIPA from the European Regional Development Fund.