BlueOrange provides EUR 7.2 million to support Nordeka in buying new buses

August 02, 2021

On Sunday, August 1, the first 7 electric minibuses of the Nordeka bus transportation company started operating on routes in the Bauska District and the Pierīga Region (surroundings of Riga). With BlueOrange Bank financing in the amount of EUR 7.2 million, Nordeka has expanded its fleet for passenger transportation.

Nordeka is the first road transport operator in Latvia to launch regional carriage of passengers with Altas Novus Ecoline electric minibuses built on the basis of the Mercedes Sprinter model. The distance that electric minibuses can cover with a full charge is 200 km. A total of 6 charging stations are currently available for them in the territory of the Nordeka bus depot – in Bauska and Riga.

“At BlueOrange, we believe that supporting high-quality passenger transportation in Latvia is important, since the advancement level of public transport is directly related to the convenience of people’s daily life,” comments Dmitrijs Latiševs, Chief Executive Officer at BlueOrange Bank. “When granting a loan to AS Nordeka, the fact that we support a brand-new initiative in Latvia that has global significance – the use of green energy in passenger transportation – was especially important for us,” notes D. Latiševs.

This makes Nordeka one of the most advanced road passenger transport service providers that follows the “Latvian Transport Development Guidelines for 2021-2027”. These guidelines provide for the creation of a competitive and resource-efficient transport system: the abandonment of fossil fuels and the development of alternative fuel infrastructure, the transition to zero-emission and low-emission vehicles that contribute to climate neutrality and low carbon emissions (reducing greenhouse gas emissions).

“The decision to use electric minibuses for regional passenger transport confirms our strategic foresight in the company’s development planning and our commitment to support the use of zero-emission vehicles in the public transport sector, which is, of course, a global and European priority,” notes Sergejs Konopijevs, Chairman of the Board at AS Nordeka. “We consider the promotion of eco-friendly public transport infrastructure and the reduction of emissions from transport as one of the main tasks of our corporate social responsibility, so we are really pleased to be one of the first to launch this ‘green’ passenger transport,” adds Konopijevs.

Minibus transportation services on relatively short-distance routes is a fast-growing segment both in the Baltics and Scandinavia, so Altas Novus Ecoline electric minibuses will certainly contribute to boosting the company’s competitiveness. Furthermore, with the purchase of new buses, Nordeka has adapted 70-80% of its total fleet for people with special needs – almost all vehicles purchased with BlueOrange credit funds are equipped with modern lifts and wheelchair spaces. In addition, the bus equipment also includes electronic route signs, seat belts, wireless Internet (wi-fi) using mobile data transmission technology at least 4G+, as well as non-cash payment options. New buses of a certain category are also equipped with bicycle holders.

AS Nordeka has been operating in passenger transportation since 1991 and is one of the leading companies in the industry in Latvia. Last year, Nordeka carried a total of 1,939 million passengers, covering 10,857 million km on regional intercity routes. The company has a total of 298 employees, including 176 bus drivers and 25 specialists of the service and maintenance centre.