The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) has approved a Turkish-lira-denominated sustainability-linked loan equivalent to up to USD100 million for Enerjisa Enerji A.Ş., Türkiye’s largest electricity distribution company. The funds will support the expansion and modernisation of power networks across three key regions — Ankara, the Asian side of Istanbul, and Toroslar — with a special emphasis on rebuilding infrastructure damaged in the 2023 earthquakes.
The loan forms part of a broader USD340 million sustainability-linked financing package arranged in collaboration with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the Netherlands Development Finance Company (FMO) and the Green for Growth Fund (GGF). By providing long-term financing in local currency, AIIB aims to mitigate foreign-exchange exposure while bolstering sustainable investment in Türkiye’s grid infrastructure.
“This financing underscores AIIB’s commitment to advancing our core thematic priorities – green infrastructure, private capital mobilisation and enhanced regional connectivity,” said Najeeb Haider, Director General of AIIB’s Project and Corporate Finance Clients Department, Global. “By structuring the loan around measurable climate and gender targets, we are helping accelerate Türkiye’s energy transition in a financially and socially inclusive way. The project strengthens domestic grid infrastructure, including in earthquake-affected regions, and demonstrates how sustainability-linked instruments can align private-sector participation with national and global development goals.”
Enerjisa CFO Philipp Ulbrich added: “Resources we secure from international financial institutions represent far more than financing; they are strategic levers for sustainable growth and energy transition. This agreement stands as proof of the trust placed in Enerjisa Enerji’s long-term investment strategy and financial resilience. Thanks to our strong balance sheet, robust cash-flow-generating model, and disciplined cost and interest management, our company continues to earn the long-term confidence of international financial institutions.”
Aligned with Türkiye’s national energy priorities and AIIB’s “Infrastructure for Tomorrow” mission, the project aims to enhance the reliability and efficiency of electricity supply, facilitate renewable-energy integration, and expand digital systems such as smart meters and grid automation. It also includes performance targets for reducing energy losses and improving gender inclusion, making it among the first sustainability-linked loans in Türkiye’s regulated electricity sector.
This marks AIIB’s second local-currency financing in Türkiye and its third sustainability-linked loan globally, reinforcing its role as a long-term partner in the country’s energy sector and deepening ties with the Sabancı Group, one of Türkiye’s leading business conglomerates.
Enerjisa, a signatory to the UN Women’s Empowerment Principles and the first company in its sector in Türkiye to be listed in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, is expected to further advance its social leadership through AIIB’s support linking financing terms to progress on climate and gender outcomes.
