On the occasion of the conference which was held today in Turin and which saw, among others, the speeches of the representatives of some of the most important utilities (A2A, ABBANOA, ACEA,HERA, EGEA, IREN, SMAT), of representatives and associations, companies, financial institutions (Intesa Sanpaolo and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti), the results of a study conducted by AGICI on the development of the water sector in Italy and on the challenges, in terms of efficiency, innovation and investments in new technologies that companies will face in the coming years. The deputy mayor of Turin, Guido Montanari and the president of ANCI of Piedmont, Alberto Avetta, presented the point of view of the municipal administrations on the issues under discussion and on the local strategies for the sector. The speeches of the president of Utilitalia, Giovanni Valotti, and of the Commissioner of the Authority for electricity, gas and the water system, Alberto Biancardi, concluded the workshop.
The main results of the AGICI study
– The investments required to modernize and make the water sector in Italy efficient over the next 2 years amount to 25 billion euros per year.
– According to AGICI estimates, the lack of investments will cause damage to the country system that can be quantified at €32 billion by 2030.
– Thanks to the regulatory role of the AEEGSI, companies are starting to invest again, supported by a financial system attentive to the needs of the sector.
– According to AGICI research, the 10 main operators in the sector (about 50% of the market) invested over 2016 million euros in 900.
– In 2016, over a quarter of the revenues generated by companies was allocated to investments, a figure that is already very significant but destined to grow further in the future.
– Investments by the top 10 operators will reach €1,3 billion a year in 2020, especially for interventions on the aqueduct network and purification.
– Companies in the sector show growing attention to innovation and, in particular, to digital technologies. IOT extension.
– remote control and remote management of networks, smart meters, big data analytics, smart jobs, smart homes are the areas where Italian water companies are focusing the most; the benefits in terms of operational efficiency and quality of service will be significant and pervasive throughout the entire operational chain of the sector.
– The effects of interventions – including digital and innovative ones – to make management more efficient are already beginning to be felt. For the top 10 companies, the ratio between EBITDA and turnover increased from 29% in 2012 to 37% in 2016.
– Improved management efficiency helped to increase the profits of the top 10 companies in the sector, which went from 113 million euros in 2012 to over 300 million in 2016. In the 2012-2016 period, profits of 1,5 billion euros were generated , largely distributed to the controlling public shareholders (municipalities) and reinvested.
– In conclusion, the Italian water sector seems to have finally embarked on a virtuous path. There is still a lot to do but it really seems that we can speak of a real "renaissance" capable of projecting Italy among the leading countries.
