NIB signs framework loan agreement to finance water treatment in southern Norway

NIB has signed a 30-years framework loan agreement with the Norwegian inter-municipality company Hias IKS in Southern Norway, to improve its drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.

The framework loan agreement gives Hias IKS an option to borrow NOK 270 million (EUR 27.7 million) from NIB to finance the replacement of an outdated drinking water plant in Hamar, built in 1954. Construction starts in 2019 and will be completed by the end of 2021. The project will improve water quality, increase capacity and renew connecting pipelines and pumping stations.

Hias IKS will also construct a full-scale biological phosphorus removal process based on biofilm carriers for its wastewater treatment plant in Ottestad. This will replace a chemical treatment step at the plant. Construction starts in 2019 and will be completed by the end of 2021.

The upgrade of the Hias wastewater treatment plant will increase the treatment capacity, improving the recovery of phosphorus from the wastewater treatment sludge.

Hias IKS is an inter-municipal company, which is a plant owner and service provider in the areas of water and drainage for the owning municipalities of Hamar (52%), Stange (21%), Ringsaker (20%) and Løten (7%) in southern Norway. HIAS owns and operates the water treatment facilities in Hamar and Stange and the wastewater treatment plant in Ottestad, approximately 70 kilometres of transfer line, ten pumping stations, six altitude pools and six measuring stations. The company has about 55 employees.

NIB is an international financial institution owned by eight member countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. The Bank finances private and public projects in and outside the member countries. NIB has the highest possible credit rating, AAA/Aaa, with the leading rating agencies Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s.

For further information, please contact
Ms Kersti Talving, Senior Manager, Origination, at +358 10 618 0245, Kersti.Talving@nib.int
Mr Arild Moen, Senior Communications Officer, at +358 10 618 0496, arild.moen@nib.int