The new concession for the Italian A22 Brenner Motorway was expected to be a mere formality, reaffirming the company that has managed it since its inception, Autostrada del Brennero Spa, which holds a right of first refusal. However, this has not deterred other potential bidders. According to speculation—given that no official announcements have been made as the deadline for applications remains 31 March 2025—interest has been expressed by Autostrade per l’Italia, partly owned by the Ministry of Economy and the powerful Blackstone and Macquarie funds; A4 Holding, controlled by the Spanish company Abertis, which operates the A4 Brescia-Padova motorway; and the Gavio Group, the second-largest motorway operator in Italy, with concessions also in Brazil and the United Kingdom.
At the heart of the competition is the investment plan put forward by Autostrada del Brennero, which includes a nine-billion-euro allocation to develop a “green corridor.” This initiative is expected to have significant implications for industrial vehicle traffic and the advancement of road-rail combined transport. However, the presence of multiple candidates could lead to disputes over Autostrada del Brennero’s right of first refusal, complicating an already troubled concession renewal process, which has faced multiple delays.
The tender process consists of two phases. The first involves a pre-qualification stage to assess applicants against specific criteria, including an average annual turnover of at least one billion euros over the past five years. The second phase is the actual bidding process, where offers will be evaluated based on criteria set by the Ministry of Transport. These include financial plans, proposed investment levels, and sustainability solutions. To regulate toll pricing, the tender stipulates the use of the “price-cap” method, which imposes a ceiling on tariff increases.
The renewal of the A22 motorway concession has been dragging on for over a decade. The previous concession expired in 2014, and since then, delays, legal disputes, and legislative changes have plagued the process. In 2013, the government postponed the tender to allow the provinces of Trento and Bolzano time to examine the issue and prepare. The following year, the Council of State upheld appeals from A22 and the Municipalities’ Consortium against the tender, cancelling it and temporarily extending the concession.
In 2015, the Ministry of Transport proposed an agreement to extend the concession until 2045, intending to assign management to a wholly public in-house company. However, public shareholders opted to retain private participation, paving the way for a public-private partnership. In November 2021, during Mario Draghi’s government, the Senate approved the Infrastructure Decree, allowing Autostrada del Brennero to submit a public-private partnership proposal and granting the company a right of first refusal should a competing bid prevail. Following further discussions and the resolution of certain issues, such as the use of windfall profits, the Ministry finally published the tender notice on 31 December 2024, setting the concession period at 50 years.
