EIB provides €1.2bln loan to ASPI to promote sustainability on Italian motorway network

At least €800 million of the EIB funds are supported by InvestEU, the European Commission’s investment programme, for which the EIB Group is the largest implementing partner.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing a €1.2 billion loan to Autostrade per l’Italia SpA (ASPI), one of Europe’s largest toll motorway construction and operation concession holders. The key objectives of the financing include modernising and upgrading the nearly 3 000km of Italian motorways managed by ASPI to improve safety and resilience against future extreme weather-related events. At least €800 million of the EIB funds are supported by InvestEU, the European Commission’s investment programme, for which the EIB Group is the largest implementing partner.

“This operation shows the EIB’s commitment to promoting safety and environmental sustainability on the Italian motorway network, an integral part of the TEN-T core corridor,” said EIB Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti. “The planned work will also contribute to developing the single market and fostering the economic, social, and territorial cohesion of the European Union.”

European Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, said: “This major investment in Italy’s transport infrastructure will make driving on our motorways safer and improve their resilience to extreme climate events, which we know are set to become ever more common. I am especially pleased that through this significant injection of funding from InvestEU and the EIB, the EU is helping to support more than 13,000 jobs in Italy.”

ASPI CEO Roberto Tomasi added: “This EIB financing confirms Autostrade’s financial strength and recognises the importance of projects to modernise and upgrade infrastructure built in the 1960s and 1970s. These projects are vital for national growth and to account for ever safer, greener, and more innovative future mobility.”

Out of the €1.2 billion loan, €800 million has a maturity of 15 years, thus aligned with the expiry of ASPI’s concession, and will contribute to the network regeneration programme, making it more resilient, including in the event of future climate events. The EIB's commitment also includes a further €400 million to support ASPI's ongoing modernisation plan.

On the environmental front, the EIB resources will help promote clean mobility, support the use of alternative energies and the adoption of technological solutions to increase energy savings. In particular, the EIB financing will support the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles, of solar panels, and LED lighting systems across the network managed by ASPI.

The project is aligned with the Climate Bank Roadmap and the EIB's Transport Policy, representing a significant step forward in modernising the motorway network without expanding its capacity. and adapting it to climate change related challenges. The central TEN-T corridor will directly benefit from this initiative.

Moreover, the operation is expected to generate major economic benefits, contributing creating new jobs throughout the country. The EIB estimates that more than 13 000 people will be employed during the implementation of the project, further consolidating the Bank's commitment to supporting economic growth.