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• Ternopil completes energy-efficiency improvements to four kindergartens with help of EIB financing, benefitting more than 1,100 children and 250 staff.
• City also uses EIB backing to put 17 new, made-in-Ukraine trolleybuses into service.
• Both projects enable Ternopil to cut energy use and operating costs while making essential public services greener, more efficient and more accessible.

The European Union is helping the western Ukrainian city of Ternopil improve essential services for its population of around 250,000. With backing from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the city has upgraded four kindergartens to improve energy efficiency and introduced 17 new Ukrainian-made trolleybuses.

"Strong municipalities are essential to Ukraine's resilience and recovery," said EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer. "In Ternopil, our financing is delivering practical improvements that make essential services greener, more efficient and more accessible."

More than 1,100 children in Ternopil will benefit from warmer, more energy-efficient kindergartens following upgrades to four facilities backed by around €5 million in EIB financing. The new trolleybuses, manufactured in Ukraine by Ukrainian machine-building company "ElectronMash" LLC, are entering into service across the city with the support of €5.5 million in EIB financing.

"Ternopil shows how EU support is delivering tangible results for Ukrainians," said Joost Mohlmann, Head of Section for Reconstruction, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment at the EU Delegation to Ukraine. "More energy-efficient kindergartens and new Ukrainian-made trolleybuses mean better services today and a more resilient city for the future."

Kindergartens No. 1, No. 14, No. 20 and No. 21 in Ternopil received new insulation, windows and doors, upgraded heating and ventilation, energy-efficient lighting and accessibility improvements under an EIB initiative known as the Ukraine Municipal Infrastructure Programme (UMIP). The improvements, which also benefit 250 staff, are projected to cut energy consumption by at least 20%, lowering costs while creating more comfortable learning environments.

The 17 new trolleybuses in the city - financed by the EIB under an initiative called the Ukraine Urban Public Transport Project II, or UUPTP II - feature low floors, energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning, passenger information systems, GPS tracking, video surveillance and ramps for passengers with reduced mobility. In addition to improving services, the trolleybuses will help the city cut maintenance costs, reduce vehicle downtime and green its public transport network.

"Ukraine's recovery begins with strong and capable communities. It is in our cities that people experience the impact of international support every day - through modernised kindergartens, comfortable public transport and better municipal services. Together with the European Investment Bank, we are helping communities not only rebuild infrastructure, but make it more modern, energy-efficient and accessible for everyone. It is also important that these projects support Ukrainian industry, as the new trolleybuses delivered to Ternopil were manufactured in Ukraine," said Mykola Kalashnyk, Minister for Recovery, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine.

"For Ternopil, this means better services people can see and use every day," said Ternopil Mayor Serhii Nadal. "Children have warmer kindergartens, residents have modern trolleybuses and our city benefits from more efficient infrastructure."

The EIB in Ukraine

Present in Ukraine since 2007, the EIB has stepped up its financial support for the country's resilience and modernisation since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the EIB has provided €4.5 billion in financing. Through its EU for Ukraine (EU4U) Initiative, coupled with its key role in implementing a dedicated window under the Ukraine Facility, the EIB is strongly committed to stepping up and accelerating its activities in line with the mandate given by EU leaders and in close cooperation with the European Commission, the European Parliament, Member States and international partners.

The Ukraine Municipal Infrastructure Programme (UMIP) is a €400 million framework loan aimed at supporting public infrastructure projects in medium and large municipalities, such as Zaporizhzhia, Kamianske, Lutsk, Mykolaiv, Lviv, Dnipro, Sumy, Lozova and Ternopil. The programme focuses on rehabilitating and modernising municipal infrastructure, serving as a vital component of Ukraine's recovery and reconstruction efforts. The UMIP supports municipalities in renewing district heating systems, improving energy efficiency in buildings, upgrading street lighting, and enhancing water supply, wastewater and solid waste management systems.

Ukraine Urban Public Transport Project (UUPTP II) is a €200 million framework loan for the financing of urban public transport investments in midsize and large municipalities in Ukraine. The project supports electric urban public transport schemes that aim at purchasing new rolling stock (trolleybuses, trams, metro coaches and electric buses) or rehabilitating the existing urban public transport infrastructure or extending it with new elements.