5 October 2012: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has recognized local companies that have substantially cut their energy costs and enhanced their production in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Slovakia.

During three separate award ceremonies, the Bank named the six best projects in each country financed under the Western Balkans Sustainable Energy Financing Facility (WeBSEFF). The overall winner of the energy efficiency prize in Bosnia and Herzegovina was a brewery, Bihacka pivovara. Other winners included a wood-processing factory EU-PAL for a biomass production system that is largely fuelled by its own waste products.

In Serbia, winners included sugar refineries, steel works and mountain resorts, and producers of biomass boilers and geothermal energy systems. The overall winner of the energy efficiency prize was a sugar refinery, Fabrika Secera Crvenka. Other winners included the jam factory Wood Master for best renewable energy investment.

In Slovakia, Agro Tami Nitra, a milk-processing plant was honored for best investment under the EBRD’s Slovak Sustainable Energy Finance Facility (SlovSEFF). BPS Belá, a company installing and operating biogas stations, and district heating company ENERGOBYT were also recognized.

WeBSEFF has funded projects in the region which have achieved total energy savings of 500 GWh per year. SlovSEFF has supported hundreds of projects in Slovakia since it began in 2007, that when completed, will lead to annual savings equivalent to the household electricity consumption of a city the size of its capital, Bratislava (about 125,000 households). [EBRD press release on Bosnia and Herzegovina awards] [EBRD press release on Serbian awards] [ EBRD press release on Slovakian awards]