A new five-year industrial plan, which will bring profit to 332 million and Ebitda to exceed one billion in 2022: Acea presented it on Tuesday morning, announcing three billion in investments and a marked discontinuity with the previous management. The four pillars of the new course of the Roman utility will be: strong industrial growth, constant attention to the territory, technological innovation and operational efficiency; with a strong focus on water and electricity and on the challenge of optical fiber after the agreement with Open Fiber to bring it to Rome. Or at least these are the promises of the management after a summer "overheated" by drought and the danger of rationing. The plan, however, convinced investors and Acea shares are quoted at 15,18 euros, + 3,83% in Piazza Affari at 15pm.
OPTICAL FIBER AND METERS – “We are very optimistic and we are working very well with Open Fiber – said the CEO of Acea, Stefano Donnarumma, illustrating the new plan in Piazza Affari -. We are already thinking at the beginning of 2018 of being able to enter the operational planning phase. If there is a vehicle for the network, it will be a vehicle controlled by Acea".
More generally, energy infrastructure will see a commitment of 1,1 billion in investments: the most important element is represented by the overhaul of the capital's low voltage network of over 2500 kilometers and the replacement of the meters, with the transition from 3 to 6 kilowatts for all residential users. A hub that will then make it possible to lay approximately 1500 kilometers of optical fiber and install approximately one million smart meters.
WATERFALL - In the water sector, the effort will amount to 1,6 billion euros, with the aim of increasing the resilience of the infrastructures and strengthening the purification plants. And, among the main actions, Acea is ready to implement an extraordinary plan for the reclamation of over 800 kilometers of water and sewage network and to work on improving the safety of the supply network to guarantee the certainty of the water resource after the emergency which has invested the capital in recent months, also thanks, in the long term, to the project to double the Peschiera, the design of which is included in the plan presented to the market. “The doubling of the Peschiera aqueduct – said Donnarumma – is a very important project not only for Acea and for Rome but for the whole country. Today Rome receives water from three aqueducts and two of these have shown serious critical issues that still remain at this time: the water crisis in Rome continues. The Peschiera aqueduct brings 60% of the water reserves to Rome but dates back to the twenty years, it is not an infrastructure that can be stopped for maintenance but must be strengthened”.
DISCONTINUITY – “Acea approves a strong discontinuity plan – explained Donnarumma – which envisages a decisive strengthening of infrastructure investments in both the water and electricity sectors. Acea is an industrial group that must and wants to return to its original vocation: managing infrastructures, making them more resilient and creating new ones that are increasingly performing and efficient, riding on innovation, practicing sound financial discipline, cultivating great attention to the environment and remunerate its shareholders well. These are the pillars of our plan. The foundations on which to build the work that awaits us”.
Speaking of financial discipline, the plan also provides that as regards shareholder remuneration, the Roman company 51% controlled by Campidoglio promises coupons that will increase over the period of the plan (700 million the distributable amount) with payouts always above 50 percent.
