LAMEZIA TERME Almost 20 million euros invested in infrastructure and systems, +78% compared to 2022. The economic value distributed across the territory is as much as 36 million. These are some of the numbers from the third edition of the Territorial Sustainability Report CalabriaOf A2Awhich reports the Group’s environmental, economic and social performance in the area in 2023 and the activity plans planned for the next few years, presented today by the CEO of A2ARenato Mazzoncini, in the presence of the President of the Region, Roberto Occhiuto, and the President of ANCI Calabria, Rosaria Succurro. «The presentation of the sustainability report and the return of the 2023 results is confirmation of the process of dialogue and discussion that we are carrying out with the stakeholders, in a Region, the third largest in terms of presence, which for A2A has assumed strategic importance” – declared Renato Mazzoncini, CEO of A2A – «Last year we distributed an economic value of 36 million euros across the territory and allocated almost 20 million, up 78% compared to 2022, to the development and renewal of the Group’s infrastructure. Our Strategic Plan to 2035 includes over 300 million euros of investments for the efficiency of the circular economy hub of Crotone, the optimization of existing hydroelectric assets and new pumping projects, thus contributing to promoting the ecological transition of the Calabria».
The Svimez report
During the meeting, some findings of the report created by Svimez in collaboration with were anticipated A2A“A supply chain perspective for the protection of water resources in Calabria” which highlights the need for an integrated approach for better water management. In addition to an important recovery of the water resource for the benefit of citizens and businesses, the investments necessary for the protection of this primary asset would also generate a potential added value of 226 million by 2029 with repercussions in favor of the Calabrian economy. In Calabriathe company deals with energy generation, treatment and waste-to-energy of industrial waste, public lighting and sale of energy and gas. The Group produced 505 GWh of renewable energy from hydroelectric and photovoltaic sources, allowing it to avoid the emission of 214 thousand tonnes of CO2. In the 2024-2035 strategic plan, A2A has foreseen over 200 million investments for the maintenance and optimization of existing hydroelectric assets (10 power plants) and for the development of new pumping projects in order to optimize the use of the water resource. In addition to the CS2 – Girifalco photovoltaic plant, with 14 MW of installed power, two new 1 MW infrastructures will come into service in the Municipality of Tarsia (CS) during 2024. Furthermore, a partnership has been initiated between Hitachi Rail and A2A – through A2A Energy Solutions – which involves the construction of new solar panels at Hitachi sites, one of these a Reggio Calabria. Thanks to the contribution of the Scandale combined cycle thermoelectric power plant (of Ergosud, 50% owned by A2A Gencogas) approximately 1,300 GWh of energy was produced. In the circular economy hub of Crotone, 34,230 tonnes of industrial waste were treated, generating over 10 GWh of net electricity. The Group has invested to guarantee the efficiency of the processes and in the new 2024-2035 industrial plan it has foreseen over 100 million euros to equip the existing treatment and waste-to-energy plants with the best available technologies and increase the overall capacity up to 300 thousand tons. Protecting the well-being of its workers is another fundamental pillar for A2A. With the Life Caring plan, recently presented, investments of 120 million euros are expected by 2035 to support employee parenting. The Group also signed the “Businesses for People and Society” Manifesto, proposed by the UN Global Compact Network Italy, and obtained the Best HR Team 2023 Certification, promoted by the HRC Community Network. Approximately 5,000 hours of training were provided to employees involved in Calabria. The Group’s commitment to ESG issues is also reflected in its activities with its suppliers: 52 activated in 2023, of which 77% are micro or small businesses, for an order amount of 12.5 million. A handbook was also drawn up and made available to them to assist them in integrating sustainability into their business strategy. In continuity with previous years, in 2023 the Group launched educational courses organized in schools – which involved more than 3,500 students and teachers during the school year – aimed at raising citizens’ awareness of the importance of respecting the environment .
Occhiuto’s comment
«In Calabria the next step is to systematize the network of dams and reservoirs, working in the meantime also on reducing water losses, because it is shocking that a region that is already suffering from drought, like many regions of the Mediterranean, then loses a lot of water». The president of the Calabria Region said it Roberto Occhiuto. «The reform of the reclamation consortia – he added – is aimed precisely at avoiding this problem, at correcting it for the future. The investments we are planning on Sorical are also oriented towards this purpose. So there is a complex of activities to be carried out, all in a few years and my worry is that if these activities had been started twenty, twenty-five years ago, today we would not be at the point where I found them”. «The Region – said Occhiuto regarding the alarm launched by Sorical regarding the water crisis and the invitation to the municipalities to reduce water during the night hours – must continue in the process of remediation of Sorical and investments because it is necessary to reduce the losses by finally carrying out extraordinary maintenance on the networks. It hasn’t been done for too many years. I believe it is an uncivilized fact that there is a need to ration water in a region like Calabria, which is a region of a Western country».
Luca Bianchi’s comment
«It was an important meeting because we talk about hydroelectric energy but not only. We talk about the water system, with the Calabria which is facing an important crisis that requires not wasting even a drop of water”, argued Luca Bianchi, general director of Svimez. «To do this – he explained – resources are needed and hydroelectric power can represent an opportunity to improve investments upstream and then they are also needed downstream, to avoid dispersion and on this there is a plan of almost two billion for the next years. Like Svimez, we have assessed that they could trigger significant growth and, above all, new employment.” «Despite in Calabria there is water, the problem is that it is not possible to bring it to families and agriculture – underlined Bianchi – For this reason, a multi-year investment plan is necessary to improve storage and reduce waste. Finally, something seems to be moving in recent years, the funds to be allocated to the sector are now there. The problem is not yet resolved – he concluded – but in the coming years the situation could improve.”
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