France: EIB supports local public company Eau du Ponant to modernise its water network and adapt to climate change

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• The €80 million loan will finance works to renovate and modernise drinking water and wastewater pipe systems in the Brest Métropole area and in the intercommunal area of Pays de Landerneau-Daoulas.
• This financial support will benefit the environment by reducing pollution load in natural areas and helping to save water by limiting leakage.
• This investment – a total of €210 million by 2030 – encompasses a number of climate change adaptation measures, such as expanding rainwater storage capacity to prevent flooding, and increasing resources that can be mobilised in the event of a drought.

The European Investment Bank and Eau du Ponant have signed an €80 million loan to finance the multi-annual investment plans of Brest Métropole and the intercommunal area of Pays de Landerneau-Daoulas, which are to be carried out by the local public company. Eau du Ponant produces and supplies drinking water and collects and treats wastewater. It is the first local public water company in France to benefit from EIB support.

In total, Eau du Ponant will receive €210 million in investment, of which €80 million will be provided as an EIB loan. Under this investment, there are plans for various interventions and works to improve the water network. The aim of these efforts is to help renovate and improve facilities for water production and supply, and wastewater collection and treatment, and to bring them up to standard. Some of this investment will be used to finance works that began recently to rehabilitate the Pont-ar-Bled drinking water plant in the commune of Plouédern.

The financial support that the EIB will provide to Eau du Ponant will benefit the environment. Works on wastewater collection facilities will help to reduce pollution load in natural areas, and new components aimed at reducing leakage in drinking water networks will help to save water.

Several aspects of the project are part of a climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy.

Strengthening drinking water production methods and the storage of raw water and drinking water at the Pont-ar-Bled plant, as well as expanding the network’s coverage, will ensure that more supplies can be mobilised in the event of a drought.

Reducing drinking water leakage and modernising drinking water plants will help to use, manage and save water more effectively. These efforts will mean that a smaller volume of water will be pumped and processed, thus reducing energy consumption.

Bringing the wastewater network of the Brest Métropole area up to standard will enable it to collect and store more rainwater, thus reducing the risk of flooding caused by torrential rain. Expanding water collection networks and building new wastewater treatment plants will make it possible to treat wastewater that would not have been treated previously – such as that treated by autonomous sanitation or discharged during rainfall – and thus reduce methane emissions.

The project is in line with the objectives outlined in PCAET (the local climate, air and energy plans) of the 26 shareholder authorities of Eau du Ponant. PCAET aims to reduce energy consumption, boost renewable energy generation, lower air pollutant and greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt to climate change.

“This financing agreement to improve water networks – vital infrastructure for everyday life – will improve water quality and help put environmental matters at the top of the agenda for the benefit of consumers,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “This project is also essential to prevent natural disasters, such as floods caused by torrential rain. By increasing rainwater storage capacity, the project will modernise public facilities and adapt them to climate change. We are already seeing the effects of climate change and EIB investments are helping to tackle it more effectively.”

“When you turn on the tap, you have access to running water. And more than 80% of the cost of water is paid for by local authorities. The European Investment Bank is therefore enabling us to deliver high-quality drinking water and to improve the wastewater network,” said President of Brest Métropole and Eau du Ponant and Mayor of Brest François Cuillandre.

Background information

EIB

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives, by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF) signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security. In 2024, France was the largest beneficiary country of EIB Group financing, receiving €12.6 billion in investment.

All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment. Over two-thirds of the EIB Group’s activity in France was dedicated to climate and environmental action. In 2024, the EIB financed several projects in the water sector in France worth nearly €500 million.

Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and unlocked €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers.

Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

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Eau du Ponant

Eau du Ponant is a local public company that brings together 26 shareholder communities. It works for 310 000 consumers, carrying out studies and creating roadmaps, making investments, and producing and supplying drinking water. It also collects and treats wastewater.