Acea

Spa A spa is a location where mineral-rich spring water (sometimes seawater) is used to give medicinal baths. Spa health treatments are known as balneotherapy. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters and hot springs goes back to pre ...

(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. Originally the city of

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

's provider, the Acea group is the main national operator in the water sector with a catchment area of about 10 million people, and manages integrated water services—aqueduct, sewerage and purification—that span the territories of Rome and Frosinone, as well as their respective provinces. Acea's activity is concentrated in

Lazio Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of 3,660,834 inhabitants as of 2025. The capital city is Florence. Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, artistic legacy, and its in ...

Umbria Umbria ( ; ) is a Regions of Italy, region of central Italy. It includes Lake Trasimeno and Cascata delle Marmore, Marmore Falls, and is crossed by the Tiber. It is the only landlocked region on the Italian Peninsula, Apennine Peninsula. The re ...

Molise Molise ( , ; ; , ) is a Regions of Italy, region in Southern Italy. Until 1963, it formed part of the region of Abruzzi e Molise together with Abruzzo. The split, which did not become effective until 1970, makes Molise the newest region in Ital ...

and

Campania Campania is an administrative Regions of Italy, region of Italy located in Southern Italy; most of it is in the south-western portion of the Italian Peninsula (with the Tyrrhenian Sea to its west), but it also includes the small Phlegraean Islan ...

, as well as in some

Latin American Latin Americans (; ) are the citizenship, citizens of Latin American countries (or people with cultural, ancestral or national origins in Latin America). Latin American countries and their Latin American diaspora, diasporas are Metroethnicity, ...

countries including

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

and the

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles of the Caribbean Sea in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. It shares a Maritime boundary, maritime border with Puerto Rico to the east and ...

. Acea is listed on the

Borsa Italiana Borsa Italiana () or Borsa di Milano (), based in Milan at Palazzo Mezzanotte, Mezzanotte Palace, is the Italy, Italian stock exchange. It manages and organises domestic market, regulating procedures for admission and listing of companies and i ...

and is part of the

FTSE Italia Mid Cap The FTSE Italia Mid Cap is a stock market index for the Borsa Italiana, the main stock exchange of Italy. It is one of the indices in the FTSE Italia Index Series. Components The index consists of listings See also * FTSE MIB References ...

index.

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. In 1912, AEM opened the Centrale Montemartini, its first

thermoelectric The thermoelectric effect is the direct conversion of temperature differences to electric voltage and vice versa via a thermocouple. A thermoelectric device creates a voltage when there is a different temperature on each side. Conversely, when ...

power plant A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

through which AEM started selling electricity in Rome. In 1937, the governor of Rome entrusted the company with building and managing of

aqueducts Aqueduct may refer to: Structures *Aqueduct (bridge), a bridge to convey water over an obstacle, such as a ravine or valley *Navigable aqueduct, or water bridge, a structure to carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railw ...

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. At the end of World War II, the Centrale Montemartini was the only available power plant still operational because it coincidentally escaped the bombings. 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. For the

Rome Olympics The 1960 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad () and commonly known as Rome 1960 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awar ...

in 1960, Acea also took responsibility for the city’s public lighting systems. In 1964, Acea gained control of Rome’s entire water network on the expiry of the concession to

Acqua Pia Antica Marcia The Acqua Pia Antica Marcia or Aqua Pia is an aqueduct in Rome. It was first built as a restoration of the classical Aqua Marcia by Luigi Canina, commissioned by Pope Pius IX. Its city terminus was the '' Fountain of the Naiads'' in the Piazza ...

for the management of the Marcio Aqueduct. 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

Municipality. In 1979, the Peschiera-Capore aqueduct system was completed, which continues to be Rome's main water source. It was in 1985 that the company completed the management of the water cycle by taking on purification services. 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). In the nineteen eighties and nineties, the Tor di Valle

cogeneration Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is the use of a heat engine or power station to generate electricity and useful heat at the same time. Cogeneration is a more efficient use of fuel or heat, because otherwise- wasted heat from elec ...

plant began operation (in 1984, converted later to combined cycle from 1996) and the EUR water centre was inaugurated (1993). 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 Paolo Cuccia is an Italian businessman. Cuccia served as president of Gambero Rosso, president of Artribune S.r.l., member of the board of Astaldi and member of the board of Techedge. Education * Liceo Classico Massimo Padri Gesuiti in Rome ...

at the helm, made its entrance on the

Milan Stock Exchange Borsa Italiana () or Borsa di Milano (), based in Milan at Mezzanotte Palace, is the Italian stock exchange. It manages and organises domestic market, regulating procedures for admission and listing of companies and intermediaries and supervi ...

on the 16th of July the following year. In 2000, Acea entered the foreign market by constructing and conceding of a water plant in Lima (Peru). In 2001, Acea acquired the

Enel Enel S.p.A. is an Italian multinational manufacturer and distributor of electricity and gas. Enel was first established as a public body at the end of 1962, and then transformed into a limited company in 1992. In 1999, following the liberali ...

branch responsible for

electricity distribution Electric power distribution is the final stage in the delivery of electricity. Electricity is carried from the transmission system to individual consumers. Distribution substations connect to the transmission system and lower the transmission ...

in the metropolitan area of Rome. 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. On 12 January 2018, Acea and Open Fiber stipulated an agreement for the development of an ultra-wide band communication network in Rome. In the same year, Acea entered the gas distribution sector. On 10 July 2019, Acea, the

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.

Activities

Through the Group’s companies, 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. These activities are divided into 7 areas:

Water Italy

Acea is the leading operator in the water sector in Italy (2022), serving 10 million inhabitants. In addition to managing the integrated water service of

and

Frosinone Frosinone (; local dialect: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Italian region of Lazio, administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is about southeast of Rome, close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of th ...

, it operates in other areas of Lazio, Tuscany, Umbria, Campania and Molise.

Environment

The Acea Group is responsible for waste management with 1.8 million tons of waste managed every year. With an eye on a

circular economy A circular economy (also referred to as circularity or CE) is a model of resource Production (economics), production and Resource consumption, consumption in any economy that involves sharing, leasing, Reuse, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and ...

, it manages composting plants like the one in

Aprilia Aprilia is an Italian motorcycle and Scooter (motorcycle), scooter manufacturer in Noale, Italy, founded by Alberto Beggio. History Early days Aprilia, named after the Pre-war automobile, pre-war Lancia Aprilia, was founded after the Seco ...

, the largest in Lazio, and the

anaerobic digestion Anaerobic digestion is a sequence of processes by which microorganisms break down biodegradable material in the absence of oxygen. The process is used for industrial or domestic purposes to Waste management, manage waste or to produce fuels. Mu ...

plant of

Monterotondo Marittimo Monterotondo Marittimo is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Grosseto in the Italian region Tuscany, located about southwest of Florence and about northwest of Grosseto, near the Colline Metallifere. ''Frazioni'' The municipality ...

in Tuscany. In 2019, Acea entered the plastics treatment sector. It also manages waste-to-energy plants in San Vittore and

Terni Terni ( ; ; ) is a city in the southern portion of the region of Umbria, in Central Italy. It is near the border with Lazio. The city is the capital of the province of Terni, located in the plain of the Nera (Tiber), River Nera. It is northeast ...

Production

Acea is one of the leading Italian players in the energy generation from renewable sources, with 750 GWh of energy produced. It is particularly present in the

photovoltaic Photovoltaics (PV) is the conversion of light into electricity using semiconducting materials that exhibit the photovoltaic effect, a phenomenon studied in physics, photochemistry, and electrochemistry. The photovoltaic effect is commercially ...

sector with a power of 101 MW, in the thermoelectric sector with 110,7 MW and in the hydroelectric one with 119,3 MW.

Commercial

It sells electricity and natural gas to medium-sized companies and families, with 6.8 TWh of electricity sold. It also offers services related to electric mobility and organic waste composting.

Networks & Smart Cities

It supplies 9 TWh of electricity to Rome and the surrounding municipalities, managing its public and artistic lighting. Acea is also working on projects regarding energy efficiency and

smart grid The smart grid is an enhancement of the 20th century electrical grid, using two-way communications and distributed so-called intelligent devices. Two-way flows of electricity and information could improve the delivery network. Research is main ...

Engineering & Infrastructure Projects

Acea designs, constructs and manages energy infrastructures and integrated water systems. It also provides laboratory services and engineering consultancy.

Water (Overseas)

The Group also operates in Latin America, managing water operations in

, the

and

, where it serves about 10 million inhabitants.

Group structure

Source:

Water Italy

* Acea Ato 2: 96% * Acea Ato 5: 98% * Sarnese Vesuviano: 99% ** Gori: 37% * Acea Molise: 100% * ASM Terni: 45% ** Umbriadue Servizi Idrici: 99% *** Servizio Idrico Integrato: 43% * Umbra Acque: 40% * Ombrone: 99% ** Acquedotto del Fiora: 40% * Acque Blu - Arno Basso: 87% ** Acque: 45% * Acque Blu Fiorentine: 75% ** Publiacqua: 40% * GESESA: 58% * G.E.A.L: 48% * Intesa Aretina: 35% ** Nuove Acque: 46% * Aditribuzionegas: 51% ** Notaresco Gas: 55%

Networks & Smart Cities

* Areti: 100%

Production

* Acea Produzione: 100% ** Ecogena: 100% ** Energia: 49% ** Acea Renewable: 100% ** Acea Sun Capital: 40% ** Acea Solar: 100% *** SF Island: 100% *** Acea Renewable 2: 100% *** Fergas Solar 2: 100%

Commercial

* Acea Energia: 100% ** Umbria Energy: 100% ** Acea Innovation:100% * Acea Energy Management: 100%

Water (Overseas)

* Acea International 100% ** Acea Dominicana: 100% ** Aguas de San Pedro: 61% ** Consorcio Agua Azul: 44% ** Acea Perù: 100% ** Consorcio Acea - Acea Dominicana: 100% * Aguazul Bogotà: 51%

Environment

* Acea Ambiente: 100% ** Demap: 100% ** AS Recycling: 90% ** Iseco: 80% ** Orvieto Ambiente: 100% ** Berg: 60% ** Cavallari: 80% ** MEG: 60% ** Ferrocart (via ASM Terni): 60% ** Aquaser: 85% ** Acque Industriali: 73% ** S.E.R. Plast: 70% ** Tecnoservizi: 70% ** Deco: 100% *** Ecologica Sangro: 100% * Ecomed: 50%

Engineering & Infrastructure Projects

* Acea Infrastructure: 100% ** Simam: 100% * Technologies Water Services: 100% * Ingegnerie Toscane: 44%

Operations

* 59,000 km of drinking water network managed by Acea * 7 Hydroelectric power plants * 2 Thermoelectric power plants * 2 Waste-to-energy plants * 1 Plastics treatment plant * 232,334 lamps for Rome public and artistic lighting

Financial information

Board of directors

Board members in charge until the approval of the 2025 Annual Report: * Barbara Marinali -

Chairperson The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a Board of directors, board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by ...

Fabrizio Palermo Fabrizio Palermo was born in Perugia February 5, 1971. Palermo was chief executive officer and General Manager of Cassa depositi e prestiti S.p.A. (CDP) and is currently the CEO and General Manager of Acea. Early life and education Palermo gradu ...

Chief Executive Officer A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

and

General Manager A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...

* Antonella Rosa Bianchessi, Alessandro Caltagirone, Massimiliano Capece Minutolo Del Sasso, Antonino Cusimano, Elisabetta Maggini, Luisa Melara, Alessandro Picardi, Angelo Piazza, Yves Rannou, Patrizia Rutigliano, Nathalie Tocci - Non-executive directorsAll independent directors excepted for Yves Rannou

Ownership structure

Source: * Roma Capitale: 51.00% * Suez SA: 23.33% * Francesco Gaetano Caltagirone: 5.45% * Market: 20.22%

References

{{Authority control Italian companies established in 1909 Energy companies of Italy Energy companies established in 1909 Oil and gas companies of Italy