Estonia. City of Pärnu
| Date of agreement: | 27 Oct 2021 |
|---|---|
| Country: | Estonia |
| Customer: | City of Pärnu |
| Amount in EUR: | EUR 35 million |
| Maturity: | 30 years |
| NACE sector / loan type: | Loan programme |
Project
This uncommitted credit facility was made available to finance the City of Pärnu’s urban development programme during 2021–2026. The programme includes the construction of the new city bridge, light traffic infrastructure and street lighting as well as investments in the education sector. The total costs of the programme are estimated around EUR 72 million.
The city bridge project includes connecting roads and will accommodate the growing traffic from the centre to the district of Rääma. The investment in light traffic infrastructure consists of ca. 14 kilometres of light traffic roads and aims to improve pedestrian and bicycle connections.
Investments in the education sector include the renovation of existing school buildings and kindergartens, as well as the construction of new facilities.
With ca. 50,000 inhabitants, Pärnu is Estonia’s fourth largest city and is located on the major traffic route Tallinn–Riga.
Fulfilment of NIB's mandate
City bridge:
The new city bridge will support the decongestion of the town centre of Pärnu and allow the existing bridge to be converted into a more pedestrian and bicycle-friendly zone. This will also free up zoning in the centre for further development. The new connection is also expected to shorten travel times between districts, creating time and financial savings for commuters and businesses.
Light traffic infrastructure:
The investments in light traffic infrastructure will improve the urban environment and bicycle connections. Improvements to light traffic infrastructure support walking and bicycling as transport modes.
Street lighting:
Higher quality street lighting is expected to result in significant energy savings, operational costs savings and a reduction of light pollution. Further, better street lighting is expected to provide greater safety.
Education sector:
The main objective of the renovation of school and kindergarten facilities is to the improve indoor climate, including ventilation, heating, water supply and sewerage. Measures include insulation and replacement of windows. The energy efficiency of the buildings is also expected to improve, which will lower energy costs. The renovation of school buildings and kindergartens is expected to result in an improved physical learning environment.
Impact indicators in relation to the investments
Productivity:
- City bridge: traffic intensity, average daily crossings
- Light traffic infrastructure: length of road built, km
- Street lighting: number of installed street lighting elements
- Education sector: number of pupils
Environment:
- Light traffic infrastructure: length of road built, km
- Street lighting: annual energy savings (MWh/a)
- Education sector: actual E-value (kWh/(m2/a) upon project completion
Sustainability summary
No significant negative environmental or social impacts have been identified in relation to the projects under the urban development programme for 2021–2026.
