The European Investment Bank will lend 100 million euros ($115.5 million) to Lithuania's Klaipeda port for works to ready it to handle green hydrogen and offshore wind infrastructure, the bank said in a statement on Tuesday.
The loan granted to the Klaipeda State Seaport Authority will be put towards the cost of upgrades and expansion of infrastructure and also for adaptations enabling its use in military mobility, with the Baltic region bordering Russia, considered vulnerable after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The port's location makes it an important facility for NATO operations also and parts of a civilian cruise ship terminal are being adapted to accommodate the needs of the defense organization and members' naval vessels. Its civilian services will continue alongside NATO use.
The EIB loan will cover half the project's estimated cost of 201 billion euros. The other half will be provided by the EU, Lithuania and other institutions, the statement said. The works include shoreside power supply to ferries and green hydrogen production and refuelling infrastructure.
EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer underscored the importance of the project for the European continent in remarks included in the statement.
"Few projects illustrate Europe's priorities as clearly as the Port of Klaipeda," he said.
"It is an investment that directly contributes to the missions of supporting European security and cohesion, while aligning with the green transition."