The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has approved a decision to provide a EUR42 million long-term loan to Volyn West Wind-2 LLC and Volyn West Wind-3 LLC, both majority-owned by VI.AN Holding, a member of the OKKO Group, to finance the construction and operation of a 189 MW wind farm in Ukraine.
According to the bank’s materials, the total estimated cost of the wind farm construction project is EUR290 million.
The project is expected to receive support from partners, namely the European Commission under the Ukraine Investment Facility (EC-UIF) and the Economic Resilience Action Program for Ukraine (ERA Program), in particular from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
“The IFC’s additional role encompasses both financial and non-financial aspects. On the financial side, the IFC provides support in structuring a long-term financing package, which may include lending from its own funds, concessional financing, first-loss guarantees, and the mobilization of parallel loans,” the corporation stated.
At the same time, on the non-financial side, the IFC is strengthening the project’s financial resilience by providing support in assessing the electricity market. In addition to support during the pre-investment phase, the IFC will provide technical guidance to enhance the project’s capacity to manage environmental and social risks in accordance with IFC performance standards.
As previously reported, the IFC loan will be part of the project’s secured debt financing, which also involves the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB).
Specifically, on June 17, the EBRD also approved a decision to provide a long-term loan of up to EUR50 million to Volyn West Wind-2 LLC and Volyn West Wind-3 LLC—companies majority-owned by VI.AN Holding, a member of the OKKO Group— to finance the construction and operation of the aforementioned 189 MW wind farm in Ukraine.
The OKKO Group brings together more than 10 diverse businesses in the fields of manufacturing, trade, construction, insurance, services, and other sectors. The group’s flagship company is the “Galnaftogaz” concern, which operates one of the largest gas station chains in Ukraine under the “OKKO” brand, comprising approximately 400 gas stations.
The founder and ultimate beneficiary of the group is Vitaliy Antonov.
IFC, LOAN, RENEWABLE ENERGY, RES, ОККО
