EIB Backs Asturias With €67m Loan to Strengthen Water Supply as Climate Shifts

In Asturias, a new €67 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) will help upgrade the pumps, pipelines and treatment facilities that supply homes and businesses across the region.

Reliable drinking water depends on infrastructure that can cope with changing demand and a less predictable climate. In Asturias, a new €67 million loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) will help upgrade the pumps, pipelines and treatment facilities that supply homes and businesses across the region.

The agreement is with the Asturias water consortium, known as Cadasa, the public body responsible for integrated water management in the region. The investment will increase drinking water treatment capacity, improve water quality and strengthen supply security as climate conditions become more uncertain.

New Pumps, Larger Pipelines and More Connected Communities

The planned work reaches across several parts of the water supply system, addressing how water is moved, treated and delivered to communities.

New pumping stations, including one on the Narcea River, will boost supplies to the region's central interior. The main pipeline between Lieres and Espinierlla will be doubled, and the Rioseco drinking water treatment plant will be expanded to increase treatment capacity.

The programme also includes connecting the municipalities of Valdés and Pravia to the central supply network and extending the Asturias central supply system through the Oriental and Bajo Nalón conveyor lines.

For residents and businesses, these improvements are intended to provide a more dependable supply through infrastructure better equipped to withstand climate pressures. Expanding treatment facilities and strengthening connections across the network will help the region manage its water resources more effectively.

Financing That Supports More Than €211 Million in Investment

Alejandro Calvo, Asturias' Regional Minister for Mobility, the Environment and Emergency Management and Chairman of Cadasa, said the loan would help mobilise total investment of more than €211 million.

He described the financing as support for the regional government's integrated water management policies, giving Asturias greater capacity to plan and deliver infrastructure improvements. The wider investment will strengthen the resilience of the supply system, support compliance with European directives and advance environmental and climate sustainability.

The project also benefits from a €10.5 million grant linked to the EIB loan and funded by the European Commission's Just Transition Mechanism. The mechanism helps regions address the social and economic effects of the shift towards the EU's climate targets.

Together, the loan and grant provide financial backing for improvements to a service that households and businesses rely on every day.

EIB Renews Its Partnership With Asturias After 17 Years

The agreement was signed at the EIB's headquarters in Luxembourg, marking the bank's first financing agreement with Asturias in 17 years.

Gilles Badot, the EIB's Director of Operations for the Public Sector in the EU, described the signing as an important step in the bank's continuing support for sustainable development in Spain.

"Investments in water infrastructure are essential for improving quality of life, protecting natural resources and strengthening resilience in the face of the growing challenges posed by climate change," Badot said.

He linked the modernisation of supply networks and treatment facilities to a safe, efficient and sustainable water service, with benefits for environmental protection and the region's competitiveness.

The project contributes to the climate action and territorial cohesion objectives of the EIB Group's Strategic Roadmap for 2024–2027 and the second phase of its Climate Bank Roadmap for 2026–2030.

Part of a €15 Billion Push for Water Resilience

The Asturias investment falls under the EIB Group's Water Resilience Programme, which sets out €15 billion in financing between 2025 and 2027 to improve water security, modernise infrastructure and support more sustainable water management in Europe and beyond.

The programme is the EIB's main financial contribution to the European Water Resilience Strategy and is expected to help mobilise up to €40 billion in investment.

Water financing has also grown in Spain, where EIB support for projects contributing to efficient water management reached a record €570 million in 2025, building on strong activity in the previous year.

In Asturias, that broader commitment will take the form of expanded treatment facilities, stronger pipelines and new connections, helping the region meet the water needs of its people and businesses under changing climate conditions.