(Finance) – The European Investment Bank (EIB) supports with 130 million euros Spa waters to improve resilience against futures events climatic and the efficiency of service water and sewage in 55 municipalities in Tuscany. Specifically, the EIB loan will support Acque’s industrial investment plan for the period 2022 – 2025, with the aim of further improving the integrated water service, the sewage system and the efficiency of the drinking water supply system, increasing at the same time the ability to face and successfully overcome the risks associated with climate change.
The EIB, as climate bank of the European Unionis one of the largest lenders to the water sector globally, with more than 1,600 projects and about 80 billion euros of loans disbursed from 1958 to today. Between 2016 and 2022, Italy was the largest beneficiary of EIB resources dedicated to sector water. During this period, the EIB financed 40 operations for a total of 2.9 billion euros in the country, helping to activate investments of around 8.9 billion. The loan to Acque, the first received from the EIB, joins those recently signed with Gruppo CAP, Tea Spa, Alfa Srl, Veritas, SMAT, Gruppo Iren, and CIIP.
“Extreme climatic events represent an increasingly urgent challenge for our society, as demonstrated by the floods that recently hit Emilia Romagna” he declared Jasmine Vigliotti, EIB Vice-President. “Thanks to the 130 million euro EIB loan, Acque Spa will have the resources at its disposal to implement important adaptation and mitigation measures aimed at guaranteeing the safety and resilience of the water and sewerage service in Tuscany and at protecting the environment.”
“The loan granted by the EIB – he underlined Fabio Trolese, managing director of Acque – confirms Acque’s solidity and commitment in pursuing its mission, starting with sustainability and care for the environment. Thanks to the Bank’s support, we will be even more able to complete and implement all the strategic works envisaged in the investment plan, such as the Leather Agreement for purification and the Montagnola Senese aqueduct.”
(Photo: © Andrey Kryuchkov /123RF)