Acea
Spa (originally an acronym for Azienda Comunale Elettricità e Acque—Electricity and Water Municipal Utility) is a multiutility operative in the management and development of networks and services in the water, energy and environmental sectors.[3] Originally the city of
Rome's provider,[4] the Acea group is the main national operator in the water sector with a catchment area of about 10 million people,[2] and manages integrated water services—aqueduct, sewerage and purification—that span the territories of Rome and Frosinone, as well as their respective provinces. Acea is also present in the regions of
Lazio,
Tuscany,
Umbria,
Molise and
Campania,[2][5] is listed on the
Borsa Italiana and is part of the
FTSE Italia Mid Cap index.[6]
History
Rome’s Municipal Electric company, better known by its Italian acronym AEM (for "Azienda Elettrica Municipale"), was founded in 1909 to provide public and private street lighting.[7][8] In 1912, AEM opened the Centrale Montemartini, its first
thermoelectricpower plant through which AEM started selling electricity in Rome.[9][10][11]
In 1937, the governor of Rome entrusted the company with building and managing of
aqueducts as well as the water distribution network for the city. With the newfound responsibilities, AEM changed its name to AGEA (an acronym for "Azienda Governatoriale Elettricità e Acque", Italian for "Government Electricity and Water Company") before changing it again to its current name Acea in 1945.[7][8] At the end of World War II, the Centrale Montemartini was the only available power plant still operational because it coincidentally escaped the bombings.[10]
In 1953, the Municipal Council of Rome approved Acea’s plan for self-sufficiency in electricity with the aim of improving the city's water system.[8] For the
Rome Olympics in 1960, Acea also took responsibility for the city’s public lighting systems.[12]
In 1964, Acea gained control of Rome’s entire water network on the expiry of the concession to
Acqua Pia Antica Marcia for the management of the Marcio Aqueduct.[8][13]
In 1976, Acea’s plan for hydro-sanitary and street lighting refurbishment was approved within the framework of the redevelopment policy of Rome’s suburbs launched by the
Rome Municipality.[14] In 1979, the Peschiera-Capore aqueduct system was completed, which continues to be Rome's main water source.[8][15]
It was in 1985 that the company completed the management of the water cycle by taking on purification services.[8]
In 1989, Acea changed its name from “Azienda Comunale Elettricità” (Municipal Electricity and Water Agency) to “Azienda Comunale dell’Energia e dell’Ambiente” (Municipal Agency of Energy and the Environment).[8]
In the nineteen eighties and nineties, the Tor di Valle
cogeneration plant began operation (in 1984, converted later to combined cycle from 1996)[16] and the EUR water centre was inaugurated (1993).[8]
In 1992, Acea became a Special Agency and, from the first of January, 1998, a Joint Stock Company (Acea S.p.A.) which, with Chief Executive Officer
Paolo Cuccia at the helm, made its entrance on the
Milan Stock Exchange on the 16th of July the following year.[8][13]
In 2000, Acea entered the foreign market by constructing and conceding of a water plant in Lima (Peru).[17][18]
In the early 2000s, Acea took over the management of the integrated water service of ATO 3 Sarnese-Vesuviano in Campania, ATO 5 Lazio Meridionale-Frosinone and, for the Tuscan region, ATO 2 (Pisa), ATO 3 (Florence) and ATO 6 Grosseto-Siena through a group of subsidiary companies.[17][20][21]
On 12 January 2018, Acea and
Open Fiber stipulated an agreement for the development of an ultra-wide band communication network in Rome.[22] In the same year, Acea entered the gas distribution sector.[23][24]
On 10 July 2019, Acea, the
Rome Municipality and the
Lazio Region signed the renewal of the concession until 2031 for the management of the Peschiera aqueduct, an agreement made in light of the plan to double its size.[25][26]
Activities
Through the
Group’s companies,[27] Acea deals with: the integrated water service, production and distribution of electricity (including public and artistic lighting), the sale of energy and gas and waste treatment.[28][29] These activities are divided into 7 areas:
Water Italy
Acea is the leading operator in the water sector in Italy (2022),[30][13] serving 10 million inhabitants.[2] In addition to managing the integrated water service of
Rome and
Frosinone, it operates in other areas of Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria, Campania and Molise.[13][31]
Environment
The Acea Group is responsible for waste management with 1.8 million tons of waste managed every year.[2][31]
Acea is one of the leading Italian players in the energy generation from renewable sources, with 750 GWh of energy produced.[2][38]
It is particularly present in the
photovoltaic sector with a power of 101 MW, in the thermoelectric sector with 110,7 MW and in the hydroelectric one with 119,3 MW.[39][40]
Commercial
It sells electricity and natural gas to medium-sized companies and families, with 6.8 TWh
of electricity sold.[2][41]
It also offers services related to electric mobility[42][43] and organic waste composting.[44][45]
Networks & Smart Cities
It supplies 9 TWh of electricity to Rome and the surrounding municipalities, managing its public and artistic lighting.[2][13]
Acea is also working on projects regarding energy efficiency[46] and
smart grids.[47]
Engineering & Infrastructure Projects
Acea designs, constructs and manages energy infrastructures[48] and integrated water systems.[49] It also provides laboratory services and engineering consultancy.[2]
Water (Overseas)
The Group also operates in Latin America, managing water operations in
Honduras, the
Dominican Republic and
Peru, where it serves about 10 million inhabitants.[2][17]
^Alberto Clementi; Francesco Perego (1983). La Metropoli "sponstanea": il caso Roma, 1925-1981: sviluppo residenziale di una città dentro e fuori il piano. Edizioni Dedalo.
^Del Duro, Renzo Mario (2014). Dalla cogenerazione alla trigenerazione: come ridurre la dipendenza energetica dell'Italia. FrancoAngeli.
^
abcAssociazione studi e ricerche per il Mezzogiorno (2006). L'industria idrica italiana: scenario economico finanziario, struttura territoriale e modelli di gestione e confronto. Guida Editori.