The Group operates in Latin America, serving over 10 million inhabitants in Peru, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, and is engaged in actions aimed at further expanding its international presence. It is part of the Mattei Plan’s steering committee for the development of water infrastructure on the African continent.

Acea, the leading water operator in Italy and the second largest in Europe, serving 11 million people in Italy and 10 million abroad, is participating in COP30, the largest global event for discussions and negotiations on climate change, currently taking place in Belèm, Brazil. Pierfrancesco Latini, Chief Risk Management Sustainability s International Officer of Acea, took part in the panel “Development Finance and the Water-Energy Nexus: Financing resilient infrastructure and driving climate adaptation through strategic cooperation” to address the role of innovation and infrastructure resilience as key drivers for climate adaptation.

«Water, energy and the environment are the strategic areas of the Acea Group and the frontier where the challenges of the future will be played out. At COP30, we want to bring a concrete vision and a pragmatic and progressive approach to the ecological transition: starting with our contribution to adapting infrastructure to climate change, alongside our long-term goals for decarbonization and resource protection, particularly water, and for safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystems. From this perspective, the resilience, flexibility, and security of networks are a primary objective of our investments, with innovation acting as an enabling driver of our development path. » - stated Piefrancesco Latini – Chief Risk, Sustainability s International Officer of the Acea Group – « For us, COP30 is an opportunity to contribute to shaping policies and initiatives that promote the transition towards a sustainable economy, beginning with the water transition and placing value creation for local communities at the center. The NRRP has provided a historic boost in accelerating interventions on networks and plants; it is now necessary to understand how to consolidate and further enhance the results achieved. A major investment plan is needed, along with solid, competent, and experienced operators; a synergic approach between the public and private sectors; and a regulatory and tariff framework that, in an interest-rate environment that is not favorable, as in the recent past, can support a structural reliance on self-financing.»

With over 56,000 km of drinking water networks, 23,000 km of sewerage network, and 1,365 wastewater treatment plants, Acea focuses on innovation and on improving the efficiency of infrastructure and networks in a transition perspective, with a particular focus on reducing water losses. It should be noted that in Italy, 60% of the water network is more than 30 years old and 25% is more than 50 years old: a factor linked to the high level of network losses (approximately double the EU average).

Among the Group’s flagship projects is the doubling of the Peschiera Capore Aqueduct: the main water infrastructure project in Italy, with an investment of 1.5 billion euros to ensure the capital’s water supply. Beyond water, Acea manages Rome's electricity network, the most extensive urban network in Europe, with investments of 2.3 billion euros in energy efficiency and flexibility through 2030. Lastly, the environmental business includes waste-to-energy and waste-to-material plants within a circular-economy framework.

International Presence. Beyond Italy, the industrial Group also has an international presence, particularly in Latin America in particular, with consolidated operations in Peru, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, where integrated water services serve over 10 million people. In Peru, it carries out operational management activities including water abstraction system, treatment, and the supply of drinking water, as well as the maintenance of the water and sewerage network in Lima. In the Dominican Republic, the Group manages the technical-commercial aspects of the water service, while in Honduras, it operates the water service in San Pedro Sula under concession. Additionally, Acea is part of the Mattei Plan’s steering committee for the development of water infrastructure on the African continent.

New tech. Innovation as a driver for our sustainable development journey. AI, robotics, and IoT technologies are enabling new models for network management and resource monitoring. Through AI, Acea is developing smart infrastructure monitoring systems to anticipate anomalies and failures, improve service levels and quality, and reduce consumption and emissions. Finally, robotic systems are used to carry out operations in complex or hazardous environments and to enhance operator safety at all stages of activity.