The European Investment Bank (EIB) has provided €27.5 million in financing to Spanish transport company Grupo Ruiz to replace its more polluting diesel buses with 32 electric and 141 compressed natural gas alternatives.
The new green vehicles will be used by public transport services in Madrid, Majorca, Badajoz, Toledo, Salamanca and Murcia, covering both urban and intercity lines.
This project is supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the main pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe.
European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni,said: “Making the European transport sector more sustainable is a key component of the European Green Deal. By supporting Grupo Ruiz’s efforts to cut its bus fleet’s emissions, the Investment Plan for Europe continues to show its environmental credentials. I hope we will see an increasing number of companies replacing their polluting vehicles for cleaner alternatives in the near future, taking advantage of EU financial support”.
Grupo Ruiz CEO Gregorio Ruiz said the following at the signing ceremony: “We are very aware of our responsibility in one of the big challenges of this century: working together to protect the environment. Mobility sector players have a key role in this, which is why we are committed to continuing to promote far more sustainable transport; a journey that we already began over 25 years ago with our first natural gas-powered buses. The agreement between the EIB and Grupo Ruiz shows how important it is to join forces to achieve this goal”.
As of December 2019, the Investment Plan had mobilised €458.8 billion of investment across the EU, including €49.8 billion in Spain, and supported more than one million start-ups and small and medium businesses.
