The European Investment Bank (EIB) has announced on its website that it is considering financing four PPP projects in Europe. According to the EIB, before financing approval by the Board of Directors and before loan signature, projects are under appraisal and negotiation.

The four PPP projects are the following:

- A7 Bordesholm-Hamburg motorway PPP project (Germany). A consortium formed by Hochtief, DIF Infrastructure and Kemna was selected as the preferred bidder for the project in late June 2014.

The construction project is part of a renewal of the A7 between the interchange Hamburg-East and home field in the direction of Flensburg. The project involves the upgrading a 65km stretch of the A7 between Bordesholm and Hamburg to six lanes and it also involves the maintenance of the 59km stretch between Hamburg-West & North-Neumünster for a period of 30 years.

The project will be developed on a design, build, finance, operation and maintenance basis with an availability payment structure. Construction is scheduled to start before the end of the year and the road is expected to be operational by 2018.

The total investment is estimated at US$372 million. The proposed amount to be financed by the EIB is €213 million (US$286 million).

- A45 toll road project (France). The companies shortlisted are Bouygues, Vinci, and Eiffage.

The A45 highway is a proposed toll road in central France. The road will replace the A47, known for being obsolete and accident-prone. The project involves the construction of four tunnels and eleven viaducts and the construction of a second carriageway of the A47 road between Saint-Etienne and Lyon, more precisely between Pierre-Bénite and Fouillouse.

The project cost is estimated at €1.3 billion (US$ 1.78 billion). The proposed amount to be financed by the EIB is €300 million (US$403 million).

The EIB said that the Project Bond Credit Enhancement (PBCE) and the Loan Guarantee for Ten-Transport (LGTT) will be proposed in order to credit-enhance the senior debt.

- Privatization of the regional airport sector (Greece). The date of submission of binding offers will be determined after the approval of the concession agreement by the Greek State.

The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund announced on September 10th that seven investment entities had qualified to participate in the second phase of the tender process for the concession of the management, operation and maintenance of the regional airports, tendered in two clusters.

• Group A includes the airports of Thessaloniki, Corfu, Chania, Kefalonia, Zakynthos, Aktion, Kavala and optionally up to 3 of the airports of Alexandroupoli, Araxos , Kalamata and Nea Achialos.

• Group B includes the airports of Rhodes, Kos, Samos, Mitilini, Mykonos, Santorini, Skiathos and optionally up to 3 airports of Limnos, Chios, Karpathos and Nea Achialos.

The proposed amount to be financed by the EIB  has not been disclosed.

- Barcelona ATM innovative public transport ticket PPP project (Spain). The project involves the development of  an innovative ticketing and fare system based on a contactless single mobility card for all regional public transport modes.

The project cost is estimated at €70 million. The proposed EIB financed is €35 million (US$47 million).