- CMS publishes its biennial Infrastructure Index which ranks 50 countries in order of infrastructure investment attractiveness
- Poland leads the CEE regional table, with six other CEE countries listed in the Index
- CEE shows highest growth in passenger traffic in Europe, with major airport expansion projects announced
Central and Eastern Europe is brimming with opportunities in renewables, airport expansions and electrification of transport as the race towards green leadership and proactive government policies gather pace. These are among the findings published in the 2019 CMS Infrastructure Index: Bridging Continents.
The latest report by international law firm CMS in conjunction with inspiratia, analyses data against six criteria to create a guide to the most attractive destinations for infrastructure investment in the world. This year’s report confirms that a crucial point has been reached in the global transition into greener, smarter and more sustainable investments and assets.
Secondary market opportunities rapidly expanding in CEE
Seven countries in CEE secured a ranking in the 2019 Index, with Poland claiming the top spot across the region for investment attractiveness. Poland, which this year rises three points since the 2017 index to claim 19th position in the 2019 global index, is making huge strides in the clean energy sector. In August it signed one of its first PPAs between a wind farm producer and car manufacturing group, marking Europe’s first automotive renewables transaction. Meanwhile, the Polish government is putting forward ambitious targets to reduce its coal generation by 50% by 2040 and develop 10 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030.
The report reveals that the secondary market in CEE is rapidly increasing, with the region boasting the highest growth of passenger traffic in Europe. CEE countries are announcing huge airport expansion projects, such as Serbia’s Nikola Tesla airport, which, following the acquisition by Vinci, plans to invest roughly EUR 730m to build-up the facility into the best- connected airport in the region. Many are also planning new greenfield additions, including in Romania and Lithuania.
The findings also show that CEE countries are making significant strides with electric vehicles following an upsurge in demand. Germany-based Ionity partnered with Shell in Q3 2018 to deploy EV charging stations in 24 European countries, including Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia, as part of what could be the Europe’s largest ultra-fast chargingnetwork. Austria’s largest electricity provider, Verbund, also partnered up with Enel X, Smatrics, Greenway and OMV to develop EV charging infrastructure in Romania, Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary and other countries in the CEE region.
Marcin Bejm, Head of Infrastructure at CMS Poland says: “Poland’s strong position in the Index is gratifying and reflects the strength of the secondary infrastructure market and the government’s support for investment in sustainable assets. Throughout the CEE region there is growing commitment to new technologies and clean energy, with encouraging signs offoreign business partnership, which bodes well for the future.”