The European Investment Bank’s advisory arm is working with Greece to plan energy supply and charging infrastructure for electric buses in Athens, the organisation said on Tuesday.
The European Investment Bank Advisory Team will support the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport and OSY S.A. — the operator of public buses in Athens — in developing a programme to meet the electricity and charging needs created by the city’s growing electric bus fleet, according to the European Investment Bank.
The bank said it has supported the ministry and OSY for the past eight years as Athens has progressively expanded its bus fleet with electric vehicles, increasing electricity demand and creating a need for a long-term investment plan for energy supply and management at bus depots.
Work under the assignment includes assessing available technologies and delivery strategies, programming actions and preparing implementation procedures, the European Investment Bank said.
It added that the advisory support will also explore potential financing solutions and help prepare related tenders.
### Focus on depots, charging and energy planning
The work was launched after a request from the ministry and OSY, with the ministry expected to align the programme with national transport and energy priorities, the organisation said.
“The transition to cleaner urban transport requires thorough preparation and reliable planning,” EIB Vice-President Yannis Tsakiris said.
Attica, the region that includes Athens, is approaching “a total of 1,076 new buses” in the coming days, Deputy Minister of Transport Konstantinos Kyranakis said. He said the infrastructure work would focus on “modern energy infrastructure at bus depots” to support reliable charging.
