EIB, SACE and InvestEU Back Major Water Infrastructure Upgrades for 32 Tuscan Municipalities

EIB, SACE and InvestEU Back Major Water Infrastructure Upgrades for 32 Tuscan Municipalities

(IN BRIEF) The European Investment Bank is providing €100 million to ASA Azienda Servizi Ambientali S.p.A. to modernise integrated water services across 32 municipalities in the provinces of Livorno, Pisa and Siena. Supported by InvestEU and SACE’s Archimede guarantee, the financing will fund upgrades to water supply infrastructure, distribution networks, wastewater treatment systems and digital operating tools. Planned measures include new wells, pumping stations, district metering, pressure management, pipeline rehabilitation, SCADA systems, GIS and hydraulic modelling. The programme is designed to improve water security, reduce losses, strengthen environmental compliance and increase climate resilience in Tuscany. The transaction also forms part of the EIB Group’s broader investment support for Livorno and Italian utility infrastructure.

(PRESS RELEASE) LUXEMBOURG, 23-Jun-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — The European Investment Bank has agreed to provide €100 million in financing to ASA Azienda Servizi Ambientali S.p.A. to modernise integrated water services across 32 municipalities in the Italian provinces of Livorno, Pisa and Siena.

The financing is supported by SACE’s Archimede guarantee and InvestEU, the European Union programme through which the EIB Group has invested more than €6 billion in Italy to date.

ASA will use the funding for a wide-ranging programme aimed at improving water security, upgrading supply and distribution infrastructure, strengthening wastewater treatment and expanding the digital management of water operations.

The investment is intended to improve the reliability and continuity of water services while addressing water scarcity, environmental protection and climate-related pressures affecting the region.

The programme includes upgrades to water supply infrastructure such as new wells, electrical systems, pumping stations and local treatment facilities. These works are designed to strengthen service resilience and improve the security of supply for communities served by ASA.

Distribution network investments will include district metering, pressure-management systems, pipeline rehabilitation and new network interconnections. The measures are intended to reduce water losses, improve flow control and support more efficient management of the network.

ASA will also invest in wastewater collection and treatment infrastructure, including upgrades to plants and treatment processes intended to improve operational efficiency and maintain compliance with environmental requirements.

Digitalisation is another central part of the programme. Planned investments include SCADA systems, geographic information systems, hydraulic modelling tools, new vehicles, operational equipment and upgraded information systems.

Milena Messori, Head of the EIB Office in Italy, said the operation demonstrates the Bank’s commitment to supporting Italian utilities and regions with investments that improve public services, local competitiveness and climate resilience.

She said the support for ASA will help make water infrastructure in Tuscany more efficient, digital and resilient, while the backing from InvestEU and SACE will help mobilise European and national resources for long-term investment in the Livorno area and surrounding municipalities.

Stefano Taddia, Chair of ASA’s Management Board, said the financing recognises the company’s credibility and previous work, while giving ASA a stronger basis for long-term planning and investment.

Valter Cammelli, Chief Executive Officer of ASA, said the new resources will accelerate planned projects, enable additional strategic works and strengthen the company’s operational capacity. He added that the financing will also support more predictable implementation of ASA’s industrial programmes and supplier relationships.

Antonio Bartolo, Head of SACE’s Central Italy Network, said water security, environmental protection and climate resilience are essential to regional development and Italy’s long-term competitiveness.

The project forms part of the EIB Group’s broader support for Livorno. Previous agreements include €90 million in financing signed in 2024 for the Port of Livorno’s Darsena Europa project and €500 million announced in 2025 for the conversion of Eni’s refinery in the city into a biorefinery.

The ASA financing also reflects the EIB’s wider support for Italian utility companies. In 2025, the Bank provided €837 million to utilities in Italy for infrastructure investments intended to improve drinking-water access, reduce hydrogeological risk and encourage more sustainable resource management.

Through the new €100 million package, ASA is expected to advance a programme of water-system improvements that combines supply security, network efficiency, wastewater management and digital operations across Tuscany.

EIB Group

The European Investment Bank Group is the financing arm of the European Union, owned by the 27 Member States, and one of the largest multilateral development banks in the world. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion of new financing and advisory services for over 870 high-impact projects under eight core priorities that support EU policy objectives: climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, territorial cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, strong global partnerships, and the savings and investments union. Beyond long-term loans for large infrastructure, the EIB Group crowds in private investment for high-risk innovative projects and businesses, with a growing role in Europe’s markets for venture debt, venture capital, guarantees and securitisations.

The European Investment Fund (EIF) is the subsidiary of the EIB Group specialised in providing guarantees and equity to improve access to finance for small and medium-sized businesses and startups across Europe. Acting as an anchor investor, through its extensive network of partnering banks and investment funds, the EIF mobilises private investment and nurtures the ecosystem of venture capital funds to support innovative European entrepreneurs.

In 2023, the EIF together with six EU Member States (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Belgium and the Netherlands) launched the European Tech Champions Initiative, a fund of funds to scale up innovative startups. As of February 2026, this initiative has already enabled the creation of 14 European venture capital mega funds and scaled up 40 companies, including 11 unicorns (with more than €1 billion in capital). Photos of the EIB Group’s representatives and headquarters, logo files and video B-roll for media use are available here.

The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with crucial long-term financing, leveraging substantial public and private funds to support a sustainable recovery. It also helps mobilise private investment for EU policy priorities such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings together under one roof the multitude of EU financial instruments previously available to support investment in the European Union, 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 deployed through implementing partners that invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The full budget guarantee will support the implementing partners’ investment projects, increasing their risk-bearing capacity and thereby mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.

ASA Livorno

ASA Azienda Servizi Ambientali S.p.A. operates in integrated water services and gas distribution. Since 2002, it has been the sole operator of the integrated water cycle in ATO 5 Toscana Costa, serving around 360 000 people in 32 municipalities in the provinces of Livorno, Pisa and Siena, including the main islands of the Tuscan archipelago. For gas distribution, ASA is present in five municipalities in the province of Livorno, serving around 222 000 people.

SACE is Italy’s export credit agency and is owned by the Ministry of Economy and Finance. It specialises in supporting the growth of Italian companies through a wide range of instruments and solutions for exports and competitiveness, including risk management and protection, financial guarantees, factoring, advisory services and business matching. With a network of export advisers in 23 offices in Italy and in high-potential markets for Made in Italy products, SACE has a portfolio of insured operations and guaranteed investments totalling around €290 billion in 200 markets worldwide.

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SOURCE: European Investment Bank