NWB Bank finances €5 billion in the Dutch public sector in the first half of the year, expanding its loan portfolio to €58 billion

- €5 billion in new lending to the Dutch public sector (H1 2024: €4.4 billion)
- Loan portfolio reaches a record level of more than €58 billion
- Net profit of €64 million (H1 2024: €58 million)
- First step in geothermal energy: NWB Bank finances a new segment in renewable energy
- Sustainalytics ESG risk rating of the bank improves further

In the first half of 2025, NWB Bank provided €5 billion in new financing to its clients, bringing its loan portfolio to a record level of over €58 billion. Despite volatility in the capital markets caused by geopolitical developments, NWB Bank was able to secure funding on attractive and sustainable terms. A total of €7.4 billion in funding was raised on the international capital market, of which €2.5 billion with ESG bonds in the form of SDG Housing Bonds. Net profit for the first six months of 2025 amounted to €64 million, and the bank’s capital and liquidity ratios remained strong.

‘I am pleased that we are able to contribute to the societal challenges facing the Netherlands, such as the (social) housing shortage, by providing appropriate and affordable financing. Social housing associations rely on our financing to achieve their goals. At the same time, the impact of climate change is becoming increasingly visible, from last spring’s drought to the growing challenges around surface water quality and drinking water supply. Demand for financing in water management and infrastructure will therefore continue to increase in the years ahead. With our financing, we support the public organisations that are making a difference in these areas,’ said Lidwin van Velden, CEO of NWB Bank.

Lending
In the first half of 2025, a total of €5 billion in new financing was provided. NWB Bank is the primary integrated service provider for the water authorities, with €324 million in new financing. Drinking water companies, traditionally an important client group, received €55 million in new financing. Housing associations, the client group with the largest financing needs, received €3.8 billion in new financing.

In the renewable energy market, NWB Bank entered a new segment: geothermal energy. The financing of GeoThermie Delft (€25 million) enables the TU Delft campus and social housing in the surrounding neighbourhoods to make use of geothermal energy. In total, €228 million in new loans was provided for renewable energy projects.

Sustainable and water conscious
NWB Bank is committed to a sustainable and water conscious society not only through its financing. For this reason, the bank, together with housing association Ymere, the Rijnland Water Authority, the municipality of Haarlem, the province of North Holland and PWN drinking water company, has launched a pilot project to develop a ‘water-positive’ residential area. From the beginning, the focus has been on the conservation, reuse and smart, green management of water. Furthermore, in the first half of 2025, NWB Bank became a member of De WaterBank cooperative, which brings together supply and demand for residual water.

Funding
Despite volatility in the international capital market, NWB Bank was able to secure attractive and sustainable financing, thanks to its high creditworthiness – with AAA credit ratings, the same as the Dutch state — and its essential role in financing the Dutch public (water) sector. Attractiveness was further strengthened by the bank’s improved ESG risk rating of Sustainalytics, supported by the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) for the banks 2024 reporting. The bank now ranks among the top 100 companies with the best risk rating according to Sustainalytics. In total, €7.4 billion was raised in the first half of 2025, of which €2.5 billion through SDG Housing Bonds.

Capital and liquidity ratios – healthy figures
The bank’s financial position remained extremely solid in the first half of 2025, with all capital and liquidity ratios comfortably above regulatory requirements. The Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) ratio stood at 35.2% (year-end 2024: 35.7%). Including the bank’s hybrid capital (AT1), the Tier 1 ratio was 40.9% (year-end 2024: 41.4%). On 1 August, the ECB published the results of the EU-wide stress test. These confirm NWB Bank’s strong capital position.

The leverage ratio stood at 11.4% on 30 June (year-end 2024: 24.0%), which is well above the minimum requirement of 3%. The Liquidity Coverage Ratio (LCR) was also comfortably above the minimum requirement of 100% at 136% at the end of June (year-end 2024: 183%), as was the Net Stable Funding Ratio (NSFR) at 143% (year-end 2024: 134%).

Outlook
Investments in addressing societal challenges are expected to rise significantly in the coming years, as will our clients’ financing needs. This will mainly concern investments in wastewater treatment, drinking water supply and the construction and sustainability measures of social housing. For the remainder of 2025, we will continue to meet the financing needs of our clients in the Dutch public sector in the same socially responsible and sustainable manner as in the first half of the year. We expect our loan portfolio to expand further in the second half of 2025.