EBRD finances modern water and wastewater infrastructure in Romania

• EBRD lends €14 million to water provider in Hunedoara County, Romania
• Loan to finance rehabilitation and expansion of water and wastewater infrastructure
• Project, co-financed with European Union, aims to improve local access to water

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is supporting improved access to water and wastewater services in Romania’s Hunedoara County by extending a €14 million loan to SC Apa Prod SA, the county’s water and wastewater services provider.

The loan will be provided to co-finance the investment alongside the European Union (EU) under its Sustainable Development Operational Programme for Romania.

The financing follows 10 earlier loans to Romanian counties under the EBRD’s Sustainable Water Infrastructure Facility to support Transition (SWIFT), which builds on the Bank's long-term work to improve services and help bring the sector in line with EU laws, policies and practices.

To date, the EBRD has financed 25 water operators in Romania, providing a total of close of over €600 million in loans alongside over €5 billion of EU funding for the country’s water and wastewater facilities.

The EBRD’s investment, alongside EU funds, will enable SC Apa Prod SA to complete a €230 million investment programme. This will rehabilitate and expand the county’s water and wastewater infrastructure, in line with EU standards.

As a result, some 170,000 residents in 33 localities will benefit from increased access to water and wastewater treatment services.

SC Apa Prod SA is also set to benefit from these investments, as improvements in water and wastewater infrastructure will significantly reduce water losses and increase connection rates to water and wastewater networks by 2028.

SC Apa Prod SA, which has been a client of the EBRD since 2014, has invested more than €140 million in waste and wastewater infrastructure. It has also been implementing a comprehensive programme of substantial real term tariff increases and inflation adjustments, together with a broad range of operation and financial performance improvement measures.

The EBRD is a leading institutional investor in Romania. To date, the Bank has invested more than €12 billion in 573 projects across the country.