EIB Provides €100 Million Loan to PWN to Future-Proof North Holland’s Drinking Water Network

EIB Provides €100 Million Loan to PWN to Future-Proof North Holland’s Drinking Water Network

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank is lending €100 million to PWN, the drinking water company serving North Holland, to support the modernisation and expansion of the province’s drinking water distribution network. The financing is backed by the European Commission’s InvestEU programme and will help fund PWN’s 2026–2029 investment programme. The project will involve replacing, renovating or installing around 750 kilometres of water pipelines, upgrading service connections and modernising water meters. The network expansion is expected to enable approximately 35,000 new connections, helping PWN meet growing demand while improving resilience to climate change and safeguarding drinking water supply. The loan marks the fifth financing operation between the EIB and PWN. PWN also aims to produce drinking water in a carbon-neutral way by 2050, become a fully emissions-free and circular organisation by then, and cut its CO2 footprint by 50% by 2030.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 10-Jul-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank is providing a €100 million loan to PWN, the drinking water company serving the Dutch province of North Holland, to support the modernisation, expansion and long-term resilience of the region’s drinking water distribution network.

The financing is backed by the European Commission’s InvestEU programme and will help fund PWN’s 2026–2029 investment programme. It marks the fifth financing operation between the European Investment Bank and PWN.

PWN will use the loan to upgrade and expand its drinking water infrastructure across its service area, with a focus on improving drinking water safety, strengthening the distribution network and increasing resilience to the effects of climate change on water resources.

The investment programme will include the replacement, reinforcement and expansion of water pipelines, the upgrading of service connections and the modernisation of water meters. Between 2026 and 2029, approximately 750 kilometres of water pipelines will be renewed, renovated or newly installed.

The network expansion is expected to enable around 35,000 new connections, helping PWN respond to growing regional demand while maintaining secure access to clean, safe and reliable drinking water.

Robert de Groot, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, said water utilities will need to make substantial investments to ensure continued access to high-quality drinking water, particularly as climate change affects water systems.

“Particularly in view of the effects of climate change, water utilities will need to invest a lot to ensure that people across the Netherlands continue to have access to clean, safe and high-quality drinking water,” said de Groot. “We often take it for granted, but the excellent quality of Dutch tap water also brings many wider benefits, including lower public health cost.”

Paulien Pistor, Chief Executive Officer of PWN, said the EIB’s support will help the company invest in the underground infrastructure that enables daily drinking water delivery to households, businesses and institutions across North Holland.

“We greatly appreciate the EIB’s confidence in PWN and in our public mission,” said Pistor. “The challenges we face, including the impacts of climate change, require major investments today. With EIB support, we can make substantial and sustainable investments in our underground ‘gold’: the pipeline network through which we deliver drinking water every day to households, businesses and institutions in our province.”

She added that the investment will strengthen security of supply and help ensure future generations continue to have access to clean, safe and reliable drinking water.

Cecilia Thorfinn, Acting Head of the European Commission Representation in the Netherlands, said the investment supports both climate resilience and access to healthy drinking water.

“A climate-neutral Europe by 2050 and access to healthy, clean drinking water for everyone are key priorities in building a strong future,” said Thorfinn. “This investment in North Holland’s water distribution network, supported under the European Commission’s InvestEU programme, is fully aligned with efforts to strengthen the Netherlands’ resilience to the impacts of a changing climate.”

PWN aims to produce drinking water in a carbon-neutral way by 2050. The company also intends to operate as a fully emissions-free and circular organisation by then, while reducing its CO2 footprint by 50% by 2030.

The company’s main priority remains the sustainable provision of drinking water, with a strong focus on protecting freshwater resources and the natural areas under its management.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union and is owned by its Member States. The Netherlands holds a 5.2% share in the EIB. The Bank provides long-term financing for sound investments that support EU policy objectives and national priorities. Around 90% of its activities take place within Europe. Over the years, the EIB has provided more than €45 billion in financing for projects across the Netherlands in a wide range of sectors, including social infrastructure, research and development, sustainable mobility, drinking water, healthcare and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term financing by mobilising substantial public and private investment in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps stimulate private investment in key EU policy priorities, including the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings together the many previously existing EU financial instruments under a single framework, making financing for investment projects in Europe simpler, more efficient and more flexible. The programme consists of three components: the InvestEU Fund, the InvestEU Advisory Hub and the InvestEU Portal. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners that invest in projects using an EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. This guarantee increases the risk-bearing capacity of implementing partners and is expected to mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.

N.V. PWN Waterleidingbedrijf Noord-Holland PWN is both a drinking water utility and a nature conservation organisation. Each year, PWN supplies 112 billion litres of drinking water to more than 800,000 households, businesses and public institutions in the Dutch province of North Holland. PWN operates four drinking water production facilities, located in Andijk, Bergen, Wijk aan Zee and Laren in the Netherlands. It also manages more than 7,500 hectares of coastal dune landscapes between Zandvoort and Bergen: the Kennemerduinen and the Noordhollands Duinreservaat nature reserves. These areas attract around eight million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.pwn.nl.

Media Contact:

Tim Smit
t.smit@eib.org
+352 4379 – 89076

Press Office
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SOURCE: European Investment Bank