Acea (company)

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 thermoelectric power 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 2001, Acea acquired the Enel branch responsible for electricity distribution in the metropolitan area of Rome.^[19]

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]

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:

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]

The Acea Group is responsible for waste management with 1.8 million tons of waste managed every year.^[2][31]

With an eye on a circular economy, it manages composting plants like the one in Aprilia, the largest in Lazio,^[32] and the anaerobic digestion plant of Monterotondo Marittimo in Tuscany.^[33] In 2019, Acea entered the plastics treatment sector.^[34][35]

It also manages waste-to-energy plants in San Vittore and Terni.^[36][37]

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]

It sells electricity and natural gas to medium-sized companies and families, with 6.8 TWhof electricity sold.^[2][41]

It also offers services related to electric mobility^[42][43] and organic waste composting.^[44][45]

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]

Acea designs, constructs and manages energy infrastructures^[48] and integrated water systems.^[49] It also provides laboratory services and engineering consultancy.^[2]

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]

Source:^[2]

• 59,000 km of drinking water network managed by Acea^[2]
• 7 Hydroelectric power plants
• 2 Thermoelectric power plants ^[39][51]
• 2 Waste-to-energy plants ^[39][36]
• 1 Plastics treatment plant ^[39][52]
• 232,334 lamps for Rome public and artistic lighting^[39]

Board members in charge until the approval of the 2025 Annual Report:^[64]

• Barbara Marinali - Chairperson
• Fabrizio Palermo - Chief Executive Officer and General Manager^[65]
• 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 directors^[66][67]

Source:^[68]

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