Press Release

The two groups will participate as a Temporary Business Grouping (RTI) in the tender to become an industrial partner of the company that took the place of EIPLI. The objective: to contribute towards relaunching the management of reservoirs and water infrastructures in the South of Italy 

To help relaunch the management of Acque del Sud S.p.A. reservoirs and water infrastructures, assets with a potential capacity of 1 billion cubic metres of water per year utilised for drinking, irrigation and industrial purposes. This is the objective of the partnership formed between Acquedotto Pugliese S.p.A. (AQP) and Acea S.p.A. with a view to becoming industrial partners of Acque del Sud, the company which from January 2024 has taken over the functions of EIPLI (Authority for the Development of Irrigation and Land Transformation in Puglia, Lucania and Irpinia).

The two groups, leaders in integrated water service management, with a total of 14 million residents served and 110 thousand kilometres of network, have signed an agreement to jointly participate in the forthcoming public tender for the selection of Acque del Sud’s industrial partner. Article 23 of decree-law 44/2023, converted into Italian law no. 74/2023, in fact establishes that the company’s current sole shareholder, the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF), has the possibility to transfer quotas up to a maximum of 30% to entities with operating partner functions and a role of responsibility in management. In order to participate in the public tender, AQP and Acea will form a temporary business grouping (RTI) with equal quotas.

As explained by the Chairman of AQP, Domenico Laforgia: – “The application of industrial methods to the management of largescale water infrastructures in the South of Italy is essential, particularly during this historical period characterised by climate change. Acquedotto Pugliese mostly draws water from the reservoirs in Lucania and Campania and has an extensive supply system of 5 thousand kilometres, unique on the European scene in terms of complexity, often directly interconnected with the works managed by Acque del Sud. This means that not only are we a partner motivated towards the smooth running of the said works, but we are also highly experienced in the management of large and complicated infrastructures. In partnership with Acea we consider that we can add impetus to this new company, thereby ensuring adequate water resources for a vast area, a driver for the development of Italy’s South”.

Fabrizio Palermo, Acea Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, commented: “The partnership concluded with AQP is the result of the agreement signed between our two companies in June of last year and confirms the objective to pool our reciprocal competencies in order to strategically exploit investment opportunities in the water sector, especially as regards the South of Italy, an area of the country particularly exposed to the effects of climate change. We are convinced – Fabrizio Palermo continued – that the collaboration created today between Acea, leading industrial operator in the Italian water sector, and AQP can guarantee for Acque del Sud efficient and sustainable infrastructures, protecting the resource and benefiting the territory’s development. We in fact believe that a public-private partnership represents the most effective means for funding adequate investments and industrially managing the networks and hydraulic structures using the most state-of-the-art technologies”.

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Acquedotto Pugliese S.p.A., with over 33 thousand kilometres of network, 570,000 interconnections, 185 wastewater treatment plants and 4 million customers served, is a major Italian player in integrated water cycle management and one of the most complex civil engineering works in Europe. The system extends over a surface area of 20 thousand square kilometres and encompasses two ATOs (local water boards) including ATO Puglia – the largest in terms of territory covered – guaranteeing the supply of drinking water for Puglia (100% of the population), Basilicata (25%) and Campania (2%). The services range from catchment, to collection, up to purification and distribution of the water, in addition to sewerage and wastewater treatment services. Acquedotto Pugliese S.p.A. is the parent entity and controls Aseco S.p.A., a company specialised in the treatment and recovery of organic waste.

Acea is one of the leading Italian industrial groups, listed on the Stock Exchange since 1999. The company’s activities include integrated water services, electricity distribution, public and artistic lighting, the sale of electricity and gas, power generation mainly from renewable sources, waste treatment and recovery. It is the foremost Italian operator in the water services sector with approximately 10 million residents served, one of the leading Italian players as regards energy distribution and one of the most important operators in the Italian environmental sector with around 1.8 million tonnes of waste managed each year.