- The EIB is granting a €45 million green loan to back BrianzAcque’s 2025-2029 investment plan.
- The project aims to make the water system more efficient and climate resilient, benefiting around 877 000 people in Lombardy.
- The financing is supported by InvestEU, the European Union’s investment programme.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has granted a €45 million loan to BrianzAcque, the publicly owned integrated water service company for the Italian province of Monza and Brianza, to back its 2025-2029 investment plan. The agreement announced by EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti and BrianzAcque Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Enrico Boerci aims to improve the efficiency of water and sewerage infrastructure in the municipalities served, benefiting around 877 000 people.
Structured as a green loan[1] and backed by InvestEU, the EIB financing will help improve water service quality, prevent floods and overflows, and make infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather events.
The project involves a series of strategic operations including increasing water treatment plant capacity, laying 16 km of new sewer pipes, separating rainwater from the sewerage system, building retention basins for temporary rainwater collection, and implementing innovative urban and social regeneration solutions. An estimated 50 new jobs will be created during the implementation phase.
“Investing in modern and resilient water infrastructure is key to protecting our regions from the effects of climate change and to significantly reducing water losses, one of our water service’s main challenges. This new funding supports safer, more efficient and more sustainable water management to benefit people and the environment,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti.
“We are delighted with this new EIB financing, which is not only a concrete opportunity to strengthen water services on the ground, but also a clear vote of confidence in our vision and design expertise,” said BrianzAcque Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer Enrico Boerci. “BrianzAcque is a robust and dynamic publicly owned company committed to sustainable long-term design. Working together with the member municipalities and the service area means we can look to the future with ambition and responsibility.”
This new loan is part of a long-term partnership between the EIB and BrianzAcque. Following an initial loan granted in 2017 and financing signed in 2021, this operation further strengthens the EIB’s role as a strategic partner for sustainable development in the region.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives. EIB projects bolster competitiveness, drive innovation, promote sustainable development, enhance social and territorial cohesion, and support a just and swift transition to climate neutrality. In the past five years, the EIB Group has provided more than €58 billion in financing for projects in Italy. All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement. The EIB Group does not fund investments in fossil fuels. We are on track to deliver on our commitment to support €1 trillion in climate and environmental sustainability investment in the decade to 2030 as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Over half of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a healthier environment. Around half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.
The InvestEU programme provides the European Union with long-term funding by leveraging substantial private and public funds in support of a sustainable recovery. It also helps to crowd in private investment for the European Union’s strategic priorities such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. InvestEU brings all EU financial instruments previously available for supporting investments within the European Union together under one roof, making funding 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 will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee of €26.2 billion. The entire budget guarantee will back the investment projects of the implementing partners, increase their risk-bearing capacity and thus mobilise at least €372 billion in additional investment.
BrianzAcque is the public company that industrially manages the integrated water service in the province of Monza and Brianza. Formed in 2003, it has consolidated its position via mergers and acquisitions over a number of years to become one of Italy’s biggest water sector operators. It is a subsidiary and partially owned by 55 member municipalities in the province of Monza and Brianza, dealing with the entire H2O chain: supply, sewerage and treatment. Every year, it provides over 75 million m3 of water to families and businesses, collects wastewater and returns it to the ecosystem after a treatment process. It manages networks, plants and infrastructure with a process of maintenance, modernisation and ongoing innovation. It operates a network of 110 water supply kiosks across the province, providing residents with a practical and environmentally friendly service supplying high quality drinking water for free. Making ever-expanding investments and adopting some of the most advanced technologies available, BrianzAcque is committed to promoting community well-being and building a responsible and sustainable future.
[1] Green loan status is granted to EIB loans where 100% of the financing will support the Bank’s climate action and environmental sustainability goals, in line with the Green Loan Principles.