- The EIB financing will back Acque’s 2022-2025 investment plan, helping to improve integrated water service, sewerage and the efficiency of the drinking water supply system in 55 municipalities in the Italian provinces of Florence, Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia and Siena.
- Italy was the biggest beneficiary of EIB resources for the water sector from 2016 to 2022, receiving €2.9 billion.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €130 million to help Acque Spa to make the water and sewerage system in 55 Tuscan municipalities more efficient and resilient to future climate events.
In concrete terms, the EIB financing will back Acque's 2022-2025 industrial investment plan, with the goal of further improving integrated water service, sewerage and the efficiency of the drinking water supply system, while also strengthening its capacity to face and successfully overcome climate change risks.
The EIB is the EU climate bank and one of the world's largest lenders to the water sector, with over 1 600 projects and around €80 billion in funding granted since 1958. Italy was the biggest beneficiary of EIB resources for the water sector from 2016 to 2022. The EIB financed 40 operations in the country during this period, providing a total of €2.9 billion and helping to unlock €8.9 billion in investment. This is Acque’s first EIB loan, and comes in addition to those recently signed with CAP Group, Tea Spa, Alfa S.r.l, Veritas, SMAT, Iren Group and CIIP.
“Extreme climate events such as the recent floods in Emilia Romagna are an increasingly pressing challenge for our society,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti. “This €130 million EIB loan will provide Acque Spa with the resources it needs to implement adaptation and mitigation measures aiming to guarantee the security and resilience of the water and sewerage service in Tuscany while also caring for the environment.”
“This EIB financing confirms the steadfast commitment of Acque to pursuing its goals with sustainability and care for the environment as a starting point,” added Acque CEO Fabio Trolese. “The EIB support will make it even more straightforward for us to implement all of the strategic operations outlined in our investment plan, including the Accordo del Cuoio wastewater treatment project and the Montagnola Senese water main connection."
Background information
European Investment Bank (EIB)
The European Investment Bank (EIB) finances projects in four priority areas: infrastructure, innovation, climate and environment, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Between 2019 and 2022, the EIB Group provided €45 billion in financing for projects in Italy.
Acque Spa
Acque Spa is the integrated water service provider in Basso Valdarno, an area of Tuscany comprising 55 municipalities with a total of 800 000 residents. Created in 2002 following the merger of five public companies owned by the municipalities served and private sector partner Abab spa, it serves 330 000 users and manages an almost 10 000 km network, 134 wastewater treatment plants and 800 water intake structures. It has made over €1 billion of investment to extend service and make it more efficient since it began operations.