Finland plans to finance the construction of a Ukrainian school to replace two schools that were destroyed by Russian bombing, according to the Finnish foreign ministry.
The new school is to replace two schools that were damaged by Russian missile strikes in February-March 2022.
The ministry said the nearly zero energy building (NZEB) "will not only restore local education facilities but also provide an energy-efficient learning environment for students, including internally displaced persons and those with disabilities".
The schools damaged in the missile strikes were in the village of Nemishaieve, in the western Kyiv region.
Finland will fund the project through the Green Recovery Programme for Ukraine which will be implemented by Nefco, the Nordic Green Bank, the ministry said in a press release on Tuesday.
Nearly zero energy building
At the end of 2022, Finland announced that it was contributing five million euros to the Nefco Green Recovery Programme for Ukraine. According to the ministry, the financing underscored Finland's support for energy efficient upgrades "as key priorities for Ukraine's reconstruction".
"Finland supports the repair and reconstruction of school buildings destroyed in Russia's war of aggression in Ukraine. We finance projects to reinvigorate the country’s education sector and promote the wider provision of school meals. By working together with Nefco on concrete actions, we are helping to rebuild municipal infrastructure," said Ville Tavio, Finland's foreign trade and development minister, according to the press release.
Nefco's managing director, Trond Moe, said that the project would adhere to Nordic and EU standards and potentially be replicated in other cities in Ukraine.
"The construction of this nearly zero energy building in Mykulychi presents Ukraine with a significant opportunity to make a leap forward technologically and adopt best practices, while fostering a resilient and carbon-neutral economy," Moe said in the release.
The planned school will feature a modular prefabricated wood frame, offering space for around 200 primary and secondary school pupils. The building will also feature solar panels for supplementary and backup power, according to the ministry.
Before Russia's full-scale invasion, in 2016 Finland financed another prefabricated timber school in Kherson region through a Nefco-administered effort, under the Nordic Initiative for Energy Efficiency and Humanitarian Support. According to recent reports, that school was destroyed by Russian missile strikes.
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