Rome, June 19, 2026 – Acea, the historic Roman public utility giant, majority-owned by the Municipality of Rome, has made a significant move into Southern Italy, definitively consolidating its national leadership in the water sector. Acea Acqua Spa has officially been awarded the mega-tender worth over €1 billion for the Integrated Water Service (SII) in the Sannio area of Campania, securing a long-term concession that will run until 2051.
Strategic Public-Private Partnership for Sannio
This operation will take the form of a complex public-private partnership. The Roman multiutility will join as a qualified private partner, holding a 45% stake in Sannio Acque Srl, a new mixed entity. The remaining 55% will remain firmly in public hands. This virtuous corporate model mirrors best practices in industrial-scale management, exporting Rome’s proven know-how beyond the Lazio region.
The affected territorial area is vast, encompassing the provincial capital of Benevento and 77 other municipalities. This covers a total basin of 272,000 inhabitants served by an extensive water network spanning 5,544 kilometers across an area of over two thousand square kilometers.
Rome-Campania: A Strategic Axis for National Modernization
For Rome and Acea, this is not merely an industrial victory but a confirmation of a geopolitical-corporate strategy that positions the Roman Group as a cornerstone for the country’s infrastructure modernization. The entry into Sannio follows other recent and significant strategic awards obtained by the company in Liguria and Sicily, demonstrating an unparalleled competitive capability at the national level.
Furthermore, Acea’s arrival in Benevento and its province allows it to create a genuine “water hub” in Southern Italy, integrating with the already consolidated assets of Gori Spa, a company in which the Roman Group holds a stake and which manages water services in the Sarnese Vesuviano area. Combining the two Campania operations, the figures take on an impressive macroeconomic dimension: Acea will coordinate an integrated territory of 153 municipalities in Campania, covering almost 3,000 square kilometers and over 13,600 kilometers of networks, bringing clean water and technological efficiency to the homes of over 1.6 million Southern Italian citizens.
CEO: “We Will Guarantee Investments and Innovation”
The satisfaction of Acea’s top management is evident. The operation fully aligns with the objectives of sustainable growth and the structural strengthening of the Italian water system, which has historically suffered from fragmentation and network losses.
“We are proud of the result achieved, which once again confirms Acea’s solidity as the leading Italian water infrastructure operator and the value of the expertise we bring to the territories,” stated Fabrizio Palermo, CEO and General Manager of Acea. “The expansion of management in the Sannio area represents a strategic step for our company. We will guarantee the investments, industrial expertise, and innovation necessary to improve service quality, support infrastructure modernization, and respond to the needs of local communities, contributing to the sustainable development of the territory.”
With this move, the company, founded in Rome in the early twentieth century to illuminate the streets of the Capital, demonstrates how a historic local “public utility” can transform into a modern, pocket-sized multinational of public services, capable of attracting capital, fostering local innovation, and ensuring resilient management of water resources in the face of pressing climate change challenges.
Source: https://www.lacapitale.it/articolo/da-roma-verso-il-sud-italia-acea-si-aggiudica-la-maxi-gara-del-sannio-da-1-miliardo-di-euro
