In a context of increasing climate pressure and rising energy instability, Veolia Romania is accelerating investments in technologies that make cities more efficient, resilient and affordable for their residents. As one of the most established urban utility providers in the region, the company is now evolving from traditional infrastructure to fully intelligent, data-driven networks.

In an interview with Romania Insider, Irina Munteanu, Deputy CEO of Veolia Romania, explains how the group’s global transformation strategy is being adapted locally, what “efficient cities” mean in practical terms, and how Veolia’s 25 years of local operational experience through Apa Nova, positions it as a long-term strategic partner for municipalities and local partners. The goal is clear: integrate water, energy, and digital technologies to create urban systems that are cleaner, more resilient, and more cost-efficient for millions of people.

When you look at Bucharest and other major Romanian cities, how do you define an “efficient city” in practical terms, and where do you see them today on that trajectory?

Irina Munteanu: An efficient city delivers predictable, reliable services at optimal costs, even as climate or urban pressure grows. It requires long-term, data-driven planning, not reactive measures.

Bucharest has advanced significantly: water network performance has now reached 80%, comparable to that of major European capitals, after 25 years of sustained investment. Presently, the priority is scaling intelligent systems - monitoring sensors, digital modelling, and integrated water-energy solutions.

Other cities face similar concerns and climate challenges, requiring long-term, technology-enabled investments to remain resilient.

Veolia talks globally about a new step forward: “from infrastructure to intelligence”. What does this mean concretely in Romania, and how does it change the way you manage urban water and energy networks?

Irina Munteanu: Infrastructure remains essential, but data, prediction and real-time control increasingly drive its operation. In Romania, our networks are managed through sensors, SCADA and digital mapping, enabling early anomaly detection, lower energy consumption and faster team coordination. This shift—from repairing to anticipating—reflects Veolia’s broader direction across Europe, from Poznań’s digital district heating to our ambition to lead the development of urban energy systems by 2030.

What are the key technologies, from sensors and AI to digital modelling, that are currently transforming your operations here, and how do they support faster, better-informed decision-making?

Irina Munteanu: Real-time monitoring of thousands of parameters—pressure, flow, equipment behaviour—allows early detection and much faster response. GIS (Geographic Information System) mapping gives teams precise asset visibility, helping reduce incident response times in Bucharest by over 90%. This model is already fully in practice in Bucharest and Ploiești, as well as on complex infrastructures such as Henri Coandă Airport.

Innovation is often associated with cutting-edge tech, but you’ve mentioned accessibility and scalability as equally important. How do you make sure your solutions are not only advanced, but also usable and impactful at the city scale?

Irina Munteanu: We pilot first, scale second. At Veolia Romania, we focus on solutions that are easy to operate, adaptable, and ready to be replicated across cities. Technologies such as Geoexchange, renewable energy (solar, biogas, hydro), and energy-efficiency solutions are already in use and can be scaled nationally because they are integrated into existing infrastructure and supported by specialized local teams. This is how we ensure innovation delivers real, practical impact for cities and consumers.

From a citizen’s point of view, what should residents of Bucharest actually feel or notice as the city becomes more efficient and resilient thanks to these investments and technological shifts?

Irina Munteanu: Residents experience greater stability and predictability. Major incidents have dropped sharply, thanks to 887 million euros invested in raising network performance to European standards. Continuity of service (water supply) is guaranteed even during complex infrastructure works or rehabilitation and water quality is monitored 24/7, thus ensuring its safety.

Digitalisation has simplified interactions: consumption checks, notifications, and service requests are now handled online through dedicated platforms. Improved operational efficiency and reduced losses also help keep Bucharest’s tariffs very competitive. All these efforts are reflected in a strong Net Promoter Score.

This year marks 25 years of Veolia in Romania and of Apa Nova in Bucharest. What are, in your view, the main milestones of this journey, from a traditional utility provider to a strategic partner for the city’s development?

Irina Munteanu: Over the past 25 years, one key milestone has been the transformation of Bucharest’s water and wastewater system into a modern, high-performance service. Water losses were cut by over 84% compared to 2000, following investments of €790 million in networks, treatment plants, and pumping stations—an achievement recognised by the World Bank, which ranked the Bucharest partnership among the world’s top five PPPs.

Beyond Bucharest, Veolia expanded its footprint through operations in Ploiești, Otopeni, Chitila, and other cities from the metropolitan area, while steadily building new capabilities. Strategic acquisitions played a key role in this evolution: Nisal strengthened our portfolio with GeoExchange geothermal solutions, and the acquisition of General Me.el Electric in 2025 brought 180 specialists and advanced expertise in electrical networks, intelligent public illumination and photovoltaic systems.

This combined growth in scale and know-how supported the extension of concessions until 2037 in both Bucharest and Ploiești. More importantly, it marked a shift in our role—from infrastructure operator to long-term strategic partner—integrating water, energy and digital solutions to support sustainable urban development across Romania.

What internal transformations were necessary, around people, culture and capabilities, to move towards more digitalized, high-performance and data-driven operations?

Irina Munteanu: The most important transformation was cultural. Digital tools gained real adoption once teams saw clear benefits: faster diagnostics, more precise planning, and real-time visibility across operations. This shift was supported by targeted upskilling, strengthening capabilities in data analytics, telemetry, and system integration, which enabled fully coordinated, data-driven operations.

Innovation is structured and encouraged through Veolia’s multi-performance strategy - GreenUp, which connects local initiatives to our global innovation framework. In Romania, this approach has led to practical, scalable solutions, such as the GeoExchange project, which is internationally recognised, winning 2nd place in the Groups’ European Energy Efficiency for Buildings competition in Lisbon. These results show how innovation at Veolia is not experimental but embedded in daily operations and performance.

Looking ahead, what are the most promising projects and technologies Veolia wants to develop in Romania, such as GeoExchange, integrated water-energy solutions or green energy for major infrastructures like hospitals, airports or flagship residential buildings?

Irina Munteanu: Looking ahead, Veolia in Romania is entering a phase of consolidation, building on a period of rapid development. We remain committed to communities through continued investment in essential infrastructure, with a clear focus on efficiency, digitalisation and locally produced energy.

A key priority is integrating General Me.El Electric’s expertise into large-scale projects for local energy production, energy storage and advanced electrical solutions with direct applications in cities and industries alike. We are deploying integrated energy systems that combine renewable sources with real-time control, monitoring and optimisation technologies. Meanwhile, GeoExchange remains a core development area, already proven in residential, industrial and technology campuses, and ready to scale to hospitals, airports and other critical infrastructure. In parallel, we are expanding green energy production through photovoltaic systems, biogas-to-energy and the upcoming micro-hydropower project at Crivina.

Our objective is clear: infrastructure that consumes less, produces more locally and operates as an integrated system. This is how we strengthen our role as a long-term strategic partner for municipalities, as well as for commercial and industrial clients, while accelerating the transition to a more sustainable urban model in Romania.

*This interview was edited by Romania Insider for Veolia.