NIB to finance renewal of Vilnius’ street lighting infrastructure

• NIB has signed a 12-year financing agreement of up to EUR 10 million with Gijos, Vilnius city energy group, to support the modernisation of Vilnius’ street lighting infrastructure.
• The financing will support the renewal of street poles across the city planned for 2025-2027 through investments carried out by Gijos’ subsidiary Vilniaus Apšvietimas UAB.

The project is part of a wider EUR 20 million infrastructure modernisation programme. It will upgrade Vilnius’ street lighting infrastructure by replacing ageing poles, most of which were installed in the mid-1970s. These structures are an essential part of the city’s infrastructure, supporting street lighting and other urban equipment. The outdated poles will be dismantled and replaced with new modular metal structures, making the city’s streets safer and more reliably lit.

“With this investment, we are renewing infrastructure that has served the city for almost half a century. The new modular poles are more durable, fewer of them will be needed, and they will be easier to maintain. For Vilnius residents, this means more reliable street lighting and a safer urban environment for decades to come,” says Gerimantas Bakanas, CEO of Gijos.

NIB President and CEO André Küüsvek says: “Climate-friendly, long-lasting urban infrastructure is essential for sustainable cities. This investment supports the modernisation of Vilnius’ street lighting infrastructure, improving its reliability while reducing environmental impact through more resource-efficient solutions.”

The new poles are designed with integrated functionality, reducing the overall number of poles required and lowering the project’s environmental footprint. Built for an estimated service life of 30 years, the poles feature a modular design that allows damaged structures to be replaced without removing their foundations. They also include anticorrosion protection suited for winter conditions and road salt. The dismantled poles will be handed over to Vilniaus viešasis transportas for recycling as scrap metal.

Vilniaus Apšvietimas is the capital’s primary provider of urban lighting infrastructure and powers the city’s entire public lighting network with renewable energy. As part of a broader technological upgrade, the company has already integrated 478 EV charging stations into lighting poles and is modernising outdated equipment to reduce operational and safety risks.

Nordic Investment Bank (NIB) is the international financial institution of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden. NIB strengthens the competitiveness, sustainability, and resilience of the Nordic-Baltic region. The Bank is headquartered in Helsinki with a regional hub in Riga. NIB has the highest possible credit rating, AAA/Aaa, with S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s.    

For further information, please contact

Andrea Mac Donald-Thomé, Banker, +358 10 618 0228, Andrea.MacDonald-Thome@nib.int

Elīna Neimane, Senior Communications Officer, +358 10 618 0871, Elina.Neimane@nib.int