Press Release

Once again this year, the Acea Group is participating in Ecomondo, the leading fair for the green and circular economy in the Euro-Mediterrean region, starting today in Rimini. The green vocation of the industrial Group, driven by strategies aimed at the sustainable use of resources and eco-friendly infrastructure development, is confirmed by the projects presented at the fair, particularly in the water sector, where Acea stands as the leading national player, serving 10 million inhabitants, and in the environmental sector, managing around 1,8 million tonnes of waste annually, as well as in the energy sector. These represent the main business areas of the Group. From plastic material regeneration to the recovery of selected organic matter, otherwise destined for landfill, to wastewater reuse and sandy waste from depuration processes: these are the topics that Acea will present during the talks organized at its stand (Hall D3), featuring industry experts, academics, technicians, and managers. The challenges of the water sector will also be addressed, starting with a speech in the plenary session of the States General of the green economy by Francesco Buresti, Manager of the Water Business Unit at Acea.

The projects

Wastewater from the purification plant of Fregene used for irrigation of agriculture
At Ecomondo, Acea Ato 2, the company managing the water service for Rome and central Latium, will present a project focused on the reuse of water from the Fregene treatment plant for agricultural irrigation. The project was made possible through NRRP funding of around 6 million euros under the April 2023 L.D. on water scarcity. The initiative was developed in synergy with the Northern Coast Reclamation Consortium and with the support of Acea Infrastructure, the Group’s engineering company, as well as the Polytechnic University of Marche, and the University of Bologna.  The high quality of the purified water currently returned to the Arrone River will allow for its reuse in irrigating the Maccarese Plain.

Sandy waste from the treatment plant used for road pavement
Also in the water sector, the Soil Washing project of sandy waste from purification processes is underway. By the end of the year, indeed, a new sand washing treatment plant funded with 6,5 million euros, is expected to start operations. This will enable the recovery of over 65% of the solid material entering the treatment plant, producing sand and gravel as output to be used in filling open road trenches during maintenance of water and sewage networks managed by the company.

From polymers to new asphalt for the bituminization of the roads of Turin
In the coming weeks, the memorandum of understanding between Acea Ambiente, the Polytechnic University of Turin, the Metropolitan City of Turin and Brillanda Company will enter its core phase with an experimental project on the reuse of recycled polymers for road paving. In a matter of weeks, plastics processed at the Acea Group's plastic treatment plant (particularly by the MEG company) can be used in innovative ways, to transform polymers into additives for bituminous conglomerates. These will be meant for sustainable, safe and with high-quality standards asphalt, to be used for paving roads in Turin.

The importance of organic substance for the soil protection.
As part of a talk on the use of compost in sustainable agriculture, the results of the multi-year collaboration between Acea Ambiente and DIBAF at University of Tuscia will be presented. This collaboration aims to enhance the productivity of certain crops (such as wheat, broccoli, and potatoes) through the use of compost, an eco-friendly soil conditioner derived from the recovery of organic materials.