KfW IPEX-Bank finances A9 motorway section in Thuringia

Frankfurt am Main (ots) -

- Innovative financing of a PPP project - executed by VINCI and
Royal BAM
- Improving transport infrastructure and economic development in
Eastern Germany
- Expanding the Trans-European Network (TEN)

KfW IPEX-Bank together with Spain's Banco Bilbao Vizcaya
Argentaria (BBVA) is financing the refurbishment, operation and
maintenance of a 46.5 km section of the A9 motorway in the eastern
German state of Thuringia.

The contract for the implementation of this public-private
partnership (PPP) project was awarded to a consortium formed by the
French and Dutch construction groups VINCI (lead) and Royal BAM,
respectively. Under the project, the motorway will be widened from
four to six lanes on a stretch of 19 km so traffic on the whole
section can run on six lanes from the end of 2014.

The total investment cost of the project will be around EUR 220
million, which will be financed by public funds, equity from the
construction groups and the loans provided by KfW IPEX-Bank and BBVA.
The agreements were signed in Frankfurt yesterday. "I am pleased that
we are able to participate in the refurbishment of this important
motorway section", said Christian K. Murach, Managing Director of KfW
IPEX-Bank, on the occasion of the signing of the agreement. "The
improved accessibility of the region to the European highway network
is an important element for the economic development in general. With
this financing KfW IPEX-Bank also underscores its important role in
structuring financings for infrastructure projects carried out by the
private sector in Germany and Europe."

Construction is expected to start in October 2011. The A9 motorway
links Berlin and Munich and is of special importance as the major
north-south connection between Bavaria and eastern Germany. It is
part of the Trans-European Network (TEN) with which the European
Union intends to establish a uniform transport infrastructure and, in
this way, better connections within Europe.

The A9 project is the first PPP project for upgrading a national
motorway using an "availability model" in which the private operator
and the financing banks bear the construction, operation and
maintenance risk. Unlike in comparable projects carried out in the
past, under this model the private operator is paid on the basis of
the availability to traffic and quality of the motorway section
rather than the actual traffic volume or toll revenues.

About KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH

Within KfW Bankengruppe KfW IPEX-Bank is in charge of
international project and export finance. It is responsible for
providing financing to support the German and European economy, a
task derived from the legal mandate assigned to KfW Bankengruppe. Its
prime focus is on medium- and long-term lending to support the export
economy and develop economic and social infrastructure, and for
environmental and climate protection projects. KfW IPEX-Bank operates
as a legally independent group subsidiary and plays a major role in
fulfilling the promotional mission of KfW Bankengruppe. It has 526
employees (as of 31 December 2010) and is represented in the key
economic and financial centres around the globe.

About VINCI Concessions

VINCI is the world leader in concessions and construction,
employing 180,000 people in some 100 countries. It designs, finances,
builds and operates facilities that improve everyday life including
transport infrastructures, public and private building construction,
urban development and water, energy and communications networks. As a
private sector company VINCI contributes to the development of
society, blending the group's business focus on today's priorities
with the long-term challenges of the accomplished projects and the
forward-looking concessions-construction business model.

About BAM PPP

BAM PPP is a company of the Royal BAM Group, a global construction
group with an annual turnover of around EUR 8 billion. The Royal BAM
Group has extensive experience and expertise in almost all
construction segments, with top market positions in Benelux, Germany,
the UK and Ireland. Within the Royal BAM Group, BAM PPP is
responsible for PPP project investment and management. BAM PPP
currently has 27 projects in its portfolio in the road and rail,
education, health and justice sectors.

Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau AG is a subsidiary of the Royal BAM
Group. The company has a turnover of approx. EUR 300 million and is
primarily active in the German civil engineering and international
tunnelling markets. Wayss & Freytag Ingenieurbau works in compliance
with the applicable standards for quality management and
environmental protection and always strives for the highest possible
standard of safety at work.

Pressekontakt:
KfW IPEX-Bank GmbH, Palmengartenstraße 5-9, 60325 Frankfurt
Pressestelle: E-Mail: axel.breitbach@kfw.de
Tel. 069 7431-2961, Fax: 069 7431-9409,
E-Mail: info@kfw-ipex-bank.de,
Internet: www.kfw-ipex-bank.de