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Ascopiave sells 8% of Estenergy’s capital to the Hera Group

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Press releases
19/06/2024
Hera Spa
Price sensitive

Hera Group ranks first in the 2024 ESG Identity Corporate Index (formerly IGI)

<p><em>For the fourth consecutive year, the Group is on the podium of the overall index ranking, which rewards Italian companies that stand out for integrating ESG factors into their governance. This comes as further recognition of the Group’s commitment to creating long-term value for its shareholders and all its stakeholders</em></p>
Online since 19-06-2024 at 11:08
Press releases
11/06/2024
Hera Spa
M&A
Price sensitive

Inrete Distribuzione Energia acquires Soelia’s gas network

<p><em>The Hera Group, through its subsidiary operating in the natural gas distribution sector, strengthens its presence in the area served</em></p>
Online since 11-06-2024 at 11:57
Press releases
15/05/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Price sensitive
Hera Spa

Publication of documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting

Online since 15-05-2024 at 10:35
Press releases
15/05/2024
Price sensitive
M&A
Hera Spa

Hera Group acquires Soelia’s gas network

Through its subsidiary Inrete Distribuzione Energia, the Group was awarded the tender for the gas distribution plants and network serving the municipality of Argenta in Ferrara area

Online since 15-05-2024 at 10:38
Press releases
14/05/2024
Price sensitive
Financial Results
Hera Spa

Hera Group BoD approves results for 1Q 2024

<p>The consolidated quarterly report at 31 March shows improvement in the main operating and financial indicators. The Group’s financial solidity and commitment to sustainability and the ecological transition were confirmed, along with the creation of value for all stakeholders and significant investments in the areas served to improve our assets resilience and to guarantee service quality and continuity</p>
Online since 14-05-2024 at 12:41
Press releases
30/04/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa
Price sensitive

Hera Shareholders Meeting: 2023 financial statements approved and dividend increased to 14 cents

The Group continues along its path of uninterrupted growth, closing 2023 with record performance in the main operating and financial indicators, thus constantly creating value for its stakeholders.

Online since 29-04-2024 at 12:53
Press releases
23/04/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group at the top of ARERA’s water service quality ranking

The multiutility confirms itself among Italy’s most outstanding operators, securing the first and third positions, with reference to all macro-indicators, as proof of the very high standards adopted by the Group in this field. A commitment that the Hera fulfils with significant investments to ensure the highest quality and continuity of service to around 3.6 million citizens and an increasingly efficient and circular use of resources. Important results have been achieved, particularly in Emilia-Romagna.

08/04/2024
Other press releases
Hera Spa

Publication of the Draft Separate and Consolidated Financial Statements as of 31.12.2023, the Sustainability Report - Consolidated Non-Financial Statement, the Corporate Governance Report, and the Report on Remuneration and Compensation Paid

29/03/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Rigid plastics recycling: one of Europe’s most innovative plants to be built in Modena

<p><em>Thanks to investments totalling approximately 50 million euro, the Hera Group will build a state-of-the-art facility within its own plant complex. Starting from plastic waste that has so far been difficult to recycle, it will produce high quality polymers with characteristics similar to those shown by virgin materials, thus making sectors such as consumer electronics and the automotive industry increasingly sustainable</em></p>
Press releases
27/03/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa

Publication of documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting to be held on 30 April 2024

Press releases
26/03/2024
Other press releases
Hera Spa
Price sensitive
Financial Results

Hera Group approves results as at 31/12/2023

<p><em>The year closed with main financial indicators rising and the targets included in the strategic Plan to 2026 exceeded three years ahead of schedule. The Group’s financial solidity and flexibility allowed it to continue along its path of industrial growth, increasing its investments and successfully grasping market opportunities, both internal and external, while continuing to generate value benefitting all stakeholders. The proposed dividend was raised, reaching 14 eurocents per share</em></p>
Online since 26-03-2024 at 12:47
Press releases
11/03/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Green energy and a new urban forest: the Hera Group’s Energy Park arrives in Bologna

<p><em>Sustainability, decarbonisation, liveability and biodiversity protection are the keywords of this project, which will be developed in the northern part of the city and will contain a new urban park with facilities, complemented by areas dedicated to protecting animal and plant species, and an agrivoltaic field that will allow an annual saving of 6,000 tons of CO2.</em></p>
Press releases
04/03/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa
Other press releases

The passing of Hera S.p.A.'s Vice Chairman, Mr. Gabriele Giacobazzi

We hereby inform you that on March 3, 2024, the Vice Chaiman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Gabriele Giacobazzi, passed away.

Press releases
13/02/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group among Europe’s leaders in sustainability and the fight against climate change

<p><em>The Group achieved the leadership band in the CDP questionnaire and was included among “TOP 1%” Multi and Water Utilities of the S&amp;P Global’s Sustainability Yearbook 2024. These recognitions prove Hera’s commitment to sustainable development and creating shared value for local areas.</em></p>
Press releases
06/02/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group: over 1 million new electricity customers as of 1 July

<p><em>With the 7 lots awarded in the tender for the Gradual Protection Service for non-vulnerable household customers, the Hera Group consolidates its position as the sector’s third largest operator in Italy.</em></p>
Press releases
25/01/2024
M&A
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group expands in the industrial waste sector with TRS Ecology

<p><i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"></span></span></span></i>With the acquisition of 70% of the Piacenza-based company, the Group reinforces its leadership in the waste management sector. This transaction, at full capacity, is expected to contribute to growth in the Hera Group’s Ebitda with approximately 6 million euro.<i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:11.0pt"><span style="line-height:106%"><span style="font-family:&quot;Arial&quot;,&quot;sans-serif&quot;"> </span></span></span></i></p>
Press releases
24/01/2024
Price sensitive
Financial Results
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group presents Business Plan to 2027

<p><em>Development, resilience and creating shared value for stakeholders are at the heart of the Group’s new strategic document, which foresees investments totalling 4.4 billion to speed up the ecological transition and enhance asset resilience to climate change. The preliminary results for 2023 outperform the previous Plan’s goals that have been achieved three years ahead of schedule, thanks to the numerous development actions implemented and the Group’s ability to grasp market opportunities.</em></p>
Online since 24-01-2024 at 12:02
Press releases
22/01/2024
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa
Other press releases
Price sensitive

Calendar of corporate events

Online since 22-01-2024 at 13:24
18/01/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Top Employer for the 15th Consecutive Year

<p><em>The company reaffirms, once again in 2024, its position among the best performers in human resources management, thanks to substantial investments in welfare, training, and skill development.</em></p>
Press releases
02/01/2024
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group has obtained the “Gender equality certification”

<p><em>A further confirmation of the importance of Hera’s achievements in terms of gender equality and inclusion</em></p>

Asset Publisher

01/12/2022
Ascopiave sells 8% of Estenergy’s capital to the Hera Group

Ascopiave partially exercised the put option on its investment in EstEnergy, selling 8% of the capital to Hera Comm, the majority shareholder. Subsequent to the transaction, the Hera Group will hold a 60% stake in EstEnergy, the largest energy player in North-Eastern Italy with over one million customers.

Today, Ascopiave S.p.A. and the Hera Group, through the subsidiary Hera Comm, signed the agreement for the sale by Ascopiave S.p.A. of an 8% stake in the capital of EstEnergy, the commercial joint venture established in 2019 that is the largest energy player in North-Eastern Italy with over one million customers.

The sale derives from the partial exercise of the put option held by Ascopiave on its stake in the company, in compliance with the agreements signed between the parties upon establishing the partnership.

The sale value is based on the fair market value of the company, estimated at 79.2 million euros with payment within December 2022.

As a result of the transaction, which will be finalised by the end of 2022, the Hera Group’s stake in EstEnergy will rise to 60%, while Ascopiave will hold 40% of the share capital, without prejudice to the right to sell such stake under the conditions already defined, in addition to maintaining the current governance rights.

The operation, which is consistent with the objectives set out in its strategic plan, will enable the Ascopiave Group to improve the sustainability of its capital structure and consequently finance medium-term investments in the core business and diversification.
Similarly, the Hera Group, in line with the objectives set forth in its business plan, further strengthens its presence in North-Eastern Italy, continuing to generate concrete benefits for customers and the communities served, through high-quality services, investments, innovation, and environmental and resource protection.

Online from 01 December 2022 at 11:27:00

Search Results

Press releases
08/02/2023
Financial Results
Hera Spa
Other press releases
Price sensitive

Hera Group presents Business Plan to 2026

2023-02-08 Based on positive preliminary results for 2022, the new five-year Plan builds on the solid foundations of the previous one and is enriched with important projects aimed at promoting the circular economy, the energy transition and network resilience, with more than 4.1 billion in investments furthering the creation of value benefitting all stakeholders. Dividends are also expected to increase, and financial solidity is confirmed. Operating and financial highlights 2026 Ebitda: approximately 1.5 billion (+246 million compared to 2021) Total investments amount to over 4.1 billion (+53% compared to the last 5 years) Net debt/Ebitda at 2.8x in 2026 Dividends further increase to 15 cents per share in 2026 (+25% compared to last dividend paid) More than 130 million in NRRP (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) grants obtained to accelerate the Group’s investments in the areas served Industrial highlights Development driven by both internal and external (M&A) growth and balanced between regulated and free market activities Target of 4 million energy customers by 2026 2026 Shared-value Ebitda: 62% of total Ebitda, or roughly 910 million, in line with 2030 target of 70% Key goals for 2030 include a 150% increase in recycled plastics and a 37% reduction in emissions Solid point of reference to help local areas move towards the ecological and digital transition and social cohesion Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, approved the Business Plan to 2026, which confirms the Group’s commitment to maintain a significant volume of investments over the next five years. Accelerating the evolution of all business areas in which it operates and the strategic guidelines defined one year ago, the Plan is in line with EU policies and responds to the particularly challenging external context, with the aim of continuing to create value for all stakeholders and confirming itself as a solid reference point for the areas served. Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group: “The growth seen in the preliminary figures for the year just ended confirms the resilience of our business. We will thus continue to pursue our development strategy, relying on our distinctive know-how in the areas of circularity, efficiency and the energy transition, to meet the rapidly growing demand coming from customers who are increasingly sensitive to energy saving and environmental sustainability. In the new Plan, focused on creating value for all stakeholders, we expect to make significant investments and increase all previous commitments, including those related to the dividend payment policy.” Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group: “Our development strategy, as defined by the Plan, relies on a solid foundation and is focused on achieving higher levels of efficiency, reinforcing all services offered and increasing the resilience and digitalisation of our infrastructures, thus supporting the areas served in moving towards the ecological transition, with the help of NRRP funding. Having already optimised emissions in our production processes many years ago, our focus will increasingly go to supporting families, businesses and all our stakeholders in this transition. As confirmation of our solidity, furthermore, the growth foreseen over the period covered by the Plan will be flanked by a conservative financial leverage, which will allow us to grasp further opportunities.” Over 20 years at the side of the areas served, with preliminary Ebitda for 2022 rising to almost 1.3 billion Last November, the Hera Group celebrated its 20th anniversary: since its establishment, the Group has achieved an uninterrupted path of growth which, relying on a multi-business industrial model and balance between internal growth and M&As (more than 40 since 2002), has made it one of the most important Italian multi-utilities, holding a position of consolidated leadership in the sectors in which it operates. As confirmation of the achievements made over the twenty years since its establishment, the Hera Group expects to close the 2022 financial year with growth in results exceeding expectations: preliminary Ebitda stands at approximately 1,285 million euro, roughly 60 million euro higher than 2021 Ebitda, while the Net debt/Ebitda ratio is expected to come to approximately 3.3x, improving compared to previous quarters, which is all the more appreciable considering the extraordinary market situation, the increase in the cost of energy commodities and the higher investments sustained in 2022, totalling roughly 780 million. These preliminary figures thus indicate the resilience of industrial margins and the validity of the Group’s multi-business model, which capitalises on the experience gained over the years, preserving its assets and accelerating the sustainable growth of the company and the communities it serves. An effective strategy to respond to the challenging context In a challenging external context – marked by high uncertainty caused by geopolitical instability, market volatility, rising inflation, higher energy prices and supply chain problems – the Group has turned challenges into opportunities and drawn up a Plan that follows up on the path previously undertaken. Its concrete projects are consistent with the main national and international policies on the energy transition, circular economy and innovation. Within this framework, cities will play a key role in mitigating climate change: Bologna and Padua are among the 100 selected by the EU Commission to become “smart zero-impact cities” by 2030, and the Hera Group has already launched investments and key projects to support municipalities in achieving carbon neutrality. Investments amounting to over 4.1 billion euro, supported by NRRP contributions The Plan to 2026 foresees total investments coming to over 4.1 billion euro, with an average of roughly 825 million euro per year, an increase over the previous Plan. Of these investments, 60% will go to regulated businesses and the remaining 40% to free market businesses. These figures include concrete initiatives in the areas served, to which more than 130 million euros in NRRP funding have already been allocated. Additional funds have been earmarked for urban waste collection and street sweeping projects, for which a decision is expected in the coming months. Of the investments planned between 2022 and 2026, 70% will go towards the targets set by the UN’s 2030 Global Agenda, and regarding the European Taxonomy, all, or virtually all, of the capital allocated to eligible assets (approximately 98%) is in line with the technical criteria defined by the European Regulation. Furthermore, 40% of investments will be reserved for interventions aimed at enhancing the safety and resilience of the assets under our management, and more than 30% will go towards promoting digitisation and innovation. The positive cash flow over the period covered by the Plan will finance the upcoming investments, progressively bringing leverage back to below 3x, with the goal of reaching 2.8x by 2026. The Group’s main projects to contribute to current transitions The strategy to 2026 has been designed to respond to the sector’s most significant challenges, with outstanding projects in all geographical areas in which the Group operates. This Plan also confirms the Group’s commitment to the energy transition and the contribution it will make, for example with initiatives aimed at developing renewable sources of electricity and gas. This will include the installation of photovoltaic plants on sites owned by Hera and by household and industrial customers, and the production of biomethane and hydrogen, to be fed into the distribution network or for local consumption (“Hydrogen Valleys”), thanks to technologies that have already been tested (biomethane from organic sources) or are unique nationwide (a power-to-gas plant combined with the integrated water cycle). Energy efficiency initiatives will also contribute to the ecological transition, from those reserved for industrial customers, condominiums, and public administrations to various solutions that will allow our Group to reduce energy consumption by 10% compared to 2013. Likewise, the new Business Plan will intensify the evolution shown by the Group and our customers towards a circular economy model. On the one hand, this involves innovative plants for recycling rigid plastics or carbon fibres, which will lead to a twofold increase in volumes of recycled plastics compared to 2017. On the other, the commercial and plant solutions offered by Herambiente Servizi Industriali to its customers and the smart equipment reserved for household customers in which to deposit their waste, will be aimed at a 73% packaging recycling rate as early as 2026 and 77% sorted waste collection, with the introduction of smart collection systems and new technological devices measuring waste deposited by the unit. Lastly, the Hera Group’s strategy will be developed thanks to a solid contribution coming from innovation, an enabling element for the ecological transition broadly speaking. Our infrastructures (networks and plants) will make the most of opportunities coming from remote management, remote control and automation, to provide the area served with greater resilience to increasingly frequent climate phenomena, with the possibility of accurate and immediate interventions, and therefore risk mitigation for the services provided. Ebitda at roughly 1.5 billion euro in 2026, thanks to internal and external growth As regards the main economic aspects of the Business Plan to 2026, Ebitda totalling 1,470 million euro is expected, up 246 million compared to 2021, with average annual growth coming to roughly 50 million and balance between internal growth and M&A. This is a particularly considerable goal, given that strong negative impacts will also be absorbed, for example due to revised tariffs related to WACC for regulated businesses (electricity distribution, gas and the water cycle), the gradual expiry of incentives related to energy production from waste-to-energy plants and the end of certain incentives for works in condominiums (insulation bonus and 110% super eco bonus). With a positive contribution expected from all business segments, internal growth will account for 146 million of the overall increase in Ebitda, driven mainly by the margins associated with new projects, the industrial and commercial developments foreseen by the Plan and efficiencies and synergies in the current scope of operations. A further contribution amounting to 100 million will come from M&As, of which about 24 million from recently concluded acquisitions involving two companies in the waste management sector, Macero Maceratese in the Marche region and ACR in Modena – leading to a strengthened leadership in the industrial waste sector, reclamation and global service activities in particular – and one currently being finalised in the North East in the telecommunications sector, involving Asco TLC, in a partnership with Ascopiave. Additionally, further acquisitions of companies operating in the waste management and energy businesses will lead to an expansion of the Group’s range of services or the extraction of synergies. Focus on our stakeholders: shared-value Ebitda at 62% by 2026, dividends up 25% Sustainability remains one of the cornerstones of the Group’s growth strategy, perfectly integrated and covering all areas in which it operates, with an increasing focus on creating value for all stakeholders. Shared-value Ebitda itself, reported since 2016, has increased steadily over the years and is expected to account for 62% of the Group’s total Ebitda in 2026, amounting to roughly 910 million and rising to 70% in 2030, following a path that generates concrete benefits for the areas served and local communities, at the same rate as the company’s own development. Confirming its constant focus on creating value for shareholders, the Group also plans to pay continuously increasing dividends. With the approval of the 2022 financial statements, it will in fact propose to the Board of Directors a 12.5 cents per share dividend, up from 12 cents in 2021. A progressive increase in dividends is also expected over the period covered by the Plan, reaching 15 cents per share in 2026, up 25% from the last dividend paid. Earnings per share are expected to rise by more than 3% on average per year. Leader in waste management, with over 100 state-of-the-art plants and innovative projects to meet carbon neutrality and circular economy targets Ebitda for the waste management business is expected to rise by 149 million, with the total figure increasing from 292 million in 2021 to 441 million in 2026, driven by both internal and external growth. Over the period covered by the Plan, the Group aims to further strengthen its national leadership in the waste management area and, supporting this growth, it foresees roughly 1.2 billion in investments, three quarters of which in waste treatment and recovery, aimed at augmenting the Groups’ set of plants. With over 100 state-of-the-art plants, the Group is able to treat all types of waste (municipal, industrial and plant by-products), with a total of approximately 8.7 tonnes expected by 2026. To support the growth in volumes treated, in addition to expanding the set of plants, a greater commitment to waste intermediation has been planned, by establishing an international network of partnerships with European players. The distinctive objectives of the Group’s strategy also include renewable gas production. Based on the excellent results achieved by the Sant’Agata Bolognese (Bologna) plant, which produces biomethane from the organic fraction of waste, the Plan calls for a further increase in the quantities produced, reaching 12 million cubic metres per year in 2026, partially thanks to the contribution coming from the partnership with the Cremonini Group company Inalca. In early 2023, work on a plant equipped with the most advanced anaerobic digestion and upgrading technologies indeed began in Spilamberto (Modena). When fully operational, this plant will produce 3.7 million cubic metres of biomethane per year and approximately 18,000 tonnes of compost from the sorted collection of organic waste and agri-food waste. The Group subsidiary Aliplast, a leader in plastics recycling, also plans new industrial development projects with investments reaching over 80 million euro. This will expand plant capacity in the segments already covered, such as the production of recycled PET for food use and recycled polymers for cosmetics and food, and in innovative niche segments. In particular, two new platforms will be built that are absolutely at the forefront at a European level, both from a technological point of view and for the strategic importance of the materials involved, so much so that they have also received NRRP funding for their innovative features: the Imola (Bologna) plant for carbon fiber regeneration and the plant for rigid plastic recovery that will be located in Modena. These plants will make it possible for sectors such as the automotive, nautical, aerospace and consumer electronics industries, which until now have mainly used virgin materials, to become increasingly sustainable. Alongside plant construction, commercial development will concern the context of waste management, driven by larger national and international customers who increasingly demand advanced solutions in terms of circularity and waste recovery, and who find an ideal partner in Herambiente Servizi Industriali. A target of 4 million energy customers by 2026, to be enabled and supported in the energy transition Over the period covered by the Plan, Ebitda for the energy area is expected to increase by 16 million, from 423 million to 439 million in 2026, more than offsetting the discontinuities of the period, thanks to a progressive increase in the customer base and higher demand for value-added services (VAS). To support this growth, 650 million in investments have therefore been allocated for the five-year period 2022-2026. In addition to a 16% increase compared to 2021 in the customer base, which will reach 4 million in 2026 – well balanced between electricity and gas – and thus consolidate the Group’s position as third in the energy sector, over the period covered by the Plan the Group intends to further support its customers in moving towards the energy transition and electrification of consumption, with enhanced and enriched VAS offers, new products and increasingly advanced solutions. The more innovative VAS proposals include offers that allow customers to monitor and reduce losses, thanks to tools that increase energy efficiency in homes, self-production and sustainable mobility, with the goal of reaching 2,300 photovoltaic systems sold to household customers over the period covered by the Plan. At the same time, the Group’s efforts in the field of renewable energy will also be reinforced with several projects that will bring the installed photovoltaic capacity owned by the Group to over 90 MW by 2026. Including installations on sites owned by customers, from traditional photovoltaic panel systems to the new distributed power generation models, with the establishment of Energy Communities, the installed capacity by 2026 will come to 150 MW. Innovation will also be a key lever in evolving the relationship between seller and customer towards new standards of quality and satisfaction, increasing customer loyalty through individualised offers that will make the most of data collected by second-generation meters, and through the introduction of artificial intelligence solutions to support the various business applications used in customer relations. Increasingly resilient networks, ready for the energy transition Ebitda for the network sector is expected to grow by 74 million, from the current 472 million to 546 million in 2026, after taking Arera’s recent tariff revision into account. Development in this area will be sustained by internal growth, in turn driven by the significant investment plan foreseen for the five-year period in question, amounting to roughly 2.2 billion. Approximately half of these resources will be allocated to the integrated water cycle, while another large portion, coming to 42%, will be invested in gas and electricity distribution. Network infrastructures will boast increasing resilience to external effects (climatic and otherwise), thanks to numerous digitisation and automation projects, which will make interventions on the systems managed more rapid. The use of predictive maintenance and functional modelling tools will also make it possible to better classify, plan and establish the parameters of each required intervention on the range of networks managed, benefiting the end customer in terms of both efficiency and service quality. Another boost to innovation in the sector will come from installing roughly 410,000 second-generation (2G) electricity meters, which will allow for more precise measurement of consumption, about 300,000 NexMeter gas smart meters, patented by the Group, having with advanced safety functions in the event of leaks or earthquakes and also useable for blends with ‘green gas’, and approximately 100,000 residential smart meters for the water cycle. The network sector will also contribute to the energy transition, by both adapting and making a positive contribution. On the one hand, the Group will intensify projects aimed at experimenting with the production of hydrogen and renewable gas, such as the power-to-gas plant in Bologna, one of the first of its type to be built internationally, which will come into operation within 2025 inside the largest purification plant by catchment area among those managed by the Group. On the other, tests for hydrogen injection into the gas distribution network will continue in order to prepare this infrastructure to accommodate new renewable forms of energy, on which European energy strategies are also based. Once again with a view to decarbonisation, the Group will invest roughly 160 million in district heating, with projects aimed at developing and optimising existing systems and maximising the use of heat from renewable sources. The projects in Bologna, Ferrara and Forlì, which were recently awarded NRRP funding, are a concrete example of the path that will be pursued and, alone, will reduce emissions by almost 29,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide and will reduce fossil fuel consumption by 12,500 tonnes of oil equivalent per year. In addition, various circular economy initiatives have been planned for saving, reusing and recovering water, at both customer locations and the Group’s worksites and offices, which include optimising sewage sludge management and recycling materials coming from water cycle waste with dedicated plant facilities and innovative tools. Projects aimed at safeguarding water resources, with a focus on reducing losses, controlling energy consumption and safeguarding sources, have been developed in the North-East by Group subsidiary AcegasApsAmga, partially financed by the NRRP and presented alongside other operators. Some examples include the “Smart Water Management FVG”, which aims to reduce network losses in Friuli-Venezia Giulia by 13% through asset digitisation projects, and the “Sustainable water management” project, intended to reduce losses in the aqueduct systems in the provinces of Padua and Vicenza. Lastly, in Padua, seven new biodryers will be installed in purification plants, with benefits including a significant reduction in the volume of sludge to be sent for recovery and a lower use of energy, while in Udine an innovative plant will be built to treat the sludge coming from all the purifiers in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and eastern Veneto. The Plan to 2026 confirms the path towards the main industrial objectives for 2030 as previously defined The many projects set out in the Business Plan to 2026, discussed here simply as examples, will make it possible to define a path consistent with all the ecological transition targets to be reached by 2030 that the Hera Group established some years ago. As regards the Group’s commitment to reducing carbon dioxide emissions, the range of initiatives make it possible to confirm the ambitious 37% reduction target to 2030, already approved by the prestigious international network Science Based Target initiative (SBTi). Furthermore, in order to make a tangible contribution to the energy transition, in energy sales the Group has set itself the goal of increasing the portion of renewable electricity out of total sales to 50% within 2030, and furthermore plans to reduce internal energy consumption by 10% within 2030 (compared to 2013 consumption). Concerning the circular economy, the 2030 objectives to increase recycled plastics (+150% compared to 2017), recycle packaging (up to 80%), reuse wastewater (up to 18% by 2030) and reduce internal water consumption (-25% by 2030, compared to 2017 consumption) can all be confirmed. PR HERA Business Plan to 2026 .pdf 15:00:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 08/02/2023 alle ore 15:00
Press releases
07/02/2023
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera awarded 2023 Sustainability Gold Class by S&P Global

2023-02-07 This year, once again, Hera has received the Gold Class from the rating agency responsible for the Sustainability Awards. This important recognition highlights the Group’s ability to safeguard resources and create value for its stakeholders. With the publication of the 2023 Sustainability Yearbook – the report containing the analyses carried out to gain access the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI) – the Hera Group has been awarded S&P Global’s Gold Class for the third consecutive year. This is the highest recognition for companies listed in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, in which the Group confirmed its position as sector leader for the 3rd year in a row. In the most recent edition of the authoritative DJSI international stock market index, which evaluates listed companies on the basis of ESG factors, Hera ranked first internationally in its sector (Multi-utility & Water), with a score of 90/100 compared to a sector average of 34/100, calculated based on the three areas analysed: Environment, Social and Governance. A focus on sustainable development and creating value for the areas and communities served is a commitment and a responsibility that the Hera Group has taken on since it was established in 2002, with the aim of guaranteeing quality and continuity in essential services for citizens and return value to all stakeholders. The Group’s approach to sustainability, its mission and its purpose – which in 2021 became an integral part of its Articles of Association – indicate the direction in which Hera intends to continue, in line with the objectives of the United Nations 2030 agenda and with the creation of shared value in three main areas: energy, environment, local areas (and enterprises). From reducing climate-changing emissions to promoting renewable energy, without forgetting the sustainable use of water resources, the circular economy and plastics recycling, as well as protocols on human rights, diversity and inclusion: for the Hera Group, economic growth and sustainable development go hand in hand, to encourage a just transition and accompany the areas served along the path to responsible and valuable change. The S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2023 gold class comes alongside other recent awards that the Hera Group has received for its labour policies and diversity enhancement, including Top Employer certification and inclusion in the Bloomberg Gender Equality Index. 20230207 cs_Hera awarded 2023 Sustainability Gold Class by S&P Global.pdf 14:50:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 07/02/2023 alle ore 14:50
Press releases
31/01/2023
Hera Spa
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Hera Group in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

2023-01-31 Hera has been included for the fourth year in a row in the international index that assesses outstanding companies for their policies relating to gender equality, diversity and inclusion. Always concerned with implementing policies concerning gender equality and enhancing diversity in the workplace, in 2023 as well the Hera Group has been counted among the most inclusive companies worldwide. Today, only a few weeks after being granted its 14th Top Employers certification for outstanding human resource management, the Group was confirmed – for the fourth consecutive year – as part of the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which analyses the performance of companies engaged in supporting gender equality by developing dedicated active policies and transparency in communicating information. In the 2023 edition, which includes 484 listed companies, based in over 45 countries, selected out of more than 11,700 businesses, Hera confirmed its results in all areas under analysis with an overall score of 80.1%, above the Italian average (78.27%). The Group stood out in particular for equal pay, an inclusive culture and harassment prevention. This important result confirms the Hera Group’s desire to keep valorising the uniqueness of people in a working context highly exposed to change, constantly committing itself to promoting and creating fair and inclusive workplaces, thanks to the development of dedicated policies and projects. This path stretches quite far into the past and has been enriched over time, starting with the signing of the Charter for equal opportunities and equality in the workplace in 2009 and the introduction – as early as 2011 – of the figure of the Diversity Manager who undertakes to promote the enhancement of diversity inside and outside the company, with dedicated awareness-raising initiatives. As further proof of the attention the Group pays to diversity enhancement policies, it has been included for some time in the Refinitiv “Diversity & Inclusion Index” and, boasting a position of global leadership in its sector, in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World and Europe. 20230131_Hera Group in the 2023 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index.pdf 13:21:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 31/01/2023 alle ore 13:21
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24/01/2023
Hera Spa
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Calendar of corporate events (*)

2023-01-24 In accordance with art. 2.6.2 (Required Reporting) of the “Rules of the markets organised and managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A.", please find below our annual calendar of corporate events: 21 March 2023 – Meeting of the Board of Directors to approve the previous year’s preliminary financial statements. 27 April 2023 – Shareholders’ Meeting to approve the previous year’s financial statements. 10 May 2023 – Meeting of the Board of Directors to approve additional financial information for the period ending on 31 March 2023. 26 July 2023 – Meeting of the Board of Directors to approve the half-year financial report as at 30 June 2023. 8 November 2023 – Meeting of the Board of Directors to approve additional financial information for the period ending on 30 September 2023. The Board of Directors, as communicated for the previous financial year and in line with the past, in order to guarantee regularity in the information provided to the financial market and investors, has decided to continue preparing and publishing this information quarterly, on a voluntary basis and in line with current regulations. (*) barring changes 20230124 HERA CALENDAR OF CORPORATE EVENTS 2023.pdf 12:32:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 24/01/2023 alle ore 12:32
Press releases
17/01/2023
Hera Spa
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Hera a Top Employer for the 14th consecutive year

2023-01-17 Early 2023 sees Hera confirmed among the best companies in human resource management, thanks in particular to substantial investments in welfare, training and skills development. “It is in challenging times that excellence comes to the fore”, comments David Plink, CEO of the Top Employers Institute, while granting the Top Employers 2023 certification, one of the main international awards for companies that meet high standards in human resource management. This reflection sums up the complex events seen over the last two years, which have caused considerable instability for many companies. This is not the case for the Hera Group, which has been certified as a Top Employer for the 14th consecutive time, standing out for its job policies and ranking among the top 3 in Italy out of 1,600 companies analysed. The well-being of people, training, professional growth and transformation of skills are the main strengths that have allowed Hera to receive this prestigious award. It was conferred by the Institute based in Holland, a global body certifying corporate excellence in the HR field, after a close analysis that becomes increasingly selective every year and concerns specific parameters such as adequate salaries, working conditions, career opportunities, corporate culture, training and people development. With its pioneering vision, concrete decisions and increasing investments in human resources and training, Hera continues to take on the challenges of change, aiming at developing new skills and competencies. In this sense, a central role is played by HerAcademy, the corporate University founded precisely with the desire to generate new knowledge in response to the trends seen in the context, including an ongoing debate on current issues and collaborations with major national and international institutions. All training activities for Hera’s over 9,000 employees fall within this scope, so that continuous learning and people development are at the heart of the strategy, in line with the growing demand for profiles capable of overcoming the challenges of the transitions currently underway (digital, energy and environmental). In 2022 alone, 97% of the corporate population, including the most operational ones, attended training courses, totalling approximately 270 thousand hours, or roughly 30 hours of training per capita, well above the sector average. In line with this same vision, and above all as a response to the challenge of the energy transition, the Hera Group has also launched a major talent acquisition campaign throughout Italy in recent months. The goal is to select and train, in collaboration with ManpowerGroup, 300 new resources with technical and operational profiles and include them, within 2023, in the Group’s various companies and in supplier companies. Training and valorising people is all the more effective when it is accompanied by the well-being and professional satisfaction of workers. The Hera Group is well aware of this and, even when faced by the complex events we are currently experiencing, it continues to insist on safety, productivity and quality of work, as is demonstrated by the recent renewal of the supplementary corporate contract for 2022-2024. In addition to significant investments in the welfare plan, to make the working and family spheres more compatible, the new contract provides, for example, for the introduction of measures in favour of pregnant workers, parents with children up to 6 years of age and those assisting elderly parents, without forgetting Hera’s initiatives in favour of gender policies. “This year as well, being recognized by the Top Employers Institute as one of the best companies for our personnel policies fills us with pride”, comments the Executive Chairman of the Hera Group, Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano. “Reaching this goal encourages us to do even better, ever more convinced that enhancing the people of the Group and continuing to invest in their professional growth, making them an integral part of the transformations of our time, also guarantees corporate solidity, quality in the services we provide and positive repercussions for the local areas served.” PR Hera Top Employer for the 14th time.pdf 10:51:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 17/01/2023 alle ore 10:51
Press releases
29/12/2022
Hera Spa
Price sensitive
M&A

Hera Group and Ascopiave have signed contracts for the acquisition of 92% of Asco TLC

2022-12-29 Following the press release issued on 29th November 2022, the Hera Group and the Ascopiave Group herein announce that today they have signed the contract deliverables governing the acquisition of 92% of Asco TLC from Asco Holding and the Treviso-Belluno C.C.I.A.A. (Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Crafts and Agriculture). The transfer of the Asco TLC shares will take place upon the closing of the transaction, which is scheduled in the first quarter of 2023. This partnership represents a strategic step in the evolution of Ascopiave and the Hera Group's business portfolio in the IT-TLC sector, consistent with the industrial plans of the two groups. For additional information on the details of the transaction, please refer to the press release dated 29th November 2022. The commitment represents an operation with related parties for Ascopiave in virtue of the fact that although Asco Holding controls Ascopiave, it does not exercise any management and coordination activity over the latter. The agreement can be construed as a deal of minor significance, pursuant to the Consob Regulation on Related Party Transactions (hereinafter referred to as the “Regulation”), as well as the procedure therein adopted by Ascopiave. It has received a favourable, non-binding clearance from the Ascopiave Committee for Related Party Transactions. It is hereby stated that, as the above-mentioned arrangement qualifies as one of minor importance, no information document will be published pursuant to Article 5 of the Regulation. 20221229 Ascopiave Gruppo Hera sottoscrizione ASCO TLC.pdf 15:32:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 29/12/2022 alle ore 15:32
Press releases
19/12/2022
Hera Spa
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Hera among the best utilities in S&P Global Ratings ESG evaluations

2022-12-19 The Group is among the top positions in the international ranking of Utility Networks assessed by S&P Global for its focus on sustainability and its ability to create shared value by contributing to the energy transition Following its recent confirmation, for the third consecutive year, within the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World and Europe, the Hera Group once again ranks among the companies that pay the most attention to sustainability and ESG aspects internationally. Hera’s latest ESG Evaluation, carried out by the Sustainable Finance analysts of S&P Global Ratings, has indeed also been recently published. This is a cross-industry assessment of the Group’s ability to effectively manage, in the medium and long term, its exposure to environmental, social and governance risks, as well as to grasp opportunities arising from the changes required by a constantly evolving international context. This year, the Hera Group, among the first in Italy to have published its own ESG Evaluation as early as 2021, obtained an overall score of 81/100, making it one of the best companies internationally as assessed by S&P Global Ratings. The score obtained (81) sets it well above the international (72) and European (76) average. This comes as further important recognition for the attention that the Hera Group dedicates to ESG aspects in pursuing a strategy of sustainable, long-term growth, which has characterised it since it was established in 2002, and which complements and goes hand in hand with its financial solidity. In particular, in the ESG Evaluation just published, the Hera Group is assessed by S&P Global Ratings as being strongly prepared to implement its strategy of creating shared value, contributing to the transition towards a circular and low-emission economy. Hera has, in fact, shown itself ready to face the potential risks arising from the energy crisis, thanks to its ability to balance the need for transition with the security and availability of energy sources. The most distinctive factors to be positively evaluated include: a robust governance, characterised by a high level of independence and transparency; resilience to external shocks thanks to a multi-business model that maintains sustainability principles as an integral part of its growth and development strategy; its ability to collaborate with various stakeholders, including municipalities, local communities and universities; its ability to capitalise on circular economy principles by investing in technology and innovation to reduce its environmental footprint, including through recycling plastics and energy production from waste, with results superior to other operators; transparent annual reporting on its greenhouse gas emissions in relation to its 2030 reduction targets; the constant alignment of its financing strategy and remuneration structure with its goals in shared value creation, which has helped to strengthen the involvement of the corporate population; the level of diversity confirmed by a high percentage of women in management positions and the inclusive approach towards local communities. 20221219_Hera TOP in S&P Global Ratings ESG evaluations.pdf 10:31:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 19/12/2022 alle ore 10:31
Press releases
10/12/2022
Hera Spa
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Hera top multi-utility worldwide in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index

2022-12-10 For the third year in a row, Hera has been confirmed as world leader in the Multi-Utility & Water sector, providing further recognition of the Group’s twenty-year strategy that combines corporate growth with the creation of value for all stakeholders The Hera Group, one of Italy’s largest multi-utilities operating in the waste management, energy and water sectors, was confirmed for the third consecutive year as the top-ranking company in the Multi-Utility & Water sector of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index for sustainability performance in all three Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) areas. This recognition comes from S&P Global, which late yesterday published the updated ranking defined by the prestigious international stock market index that assesses the social responsibility of listed companies As in past editions, this year as well Hera has been included in both the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and the Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index. More specifically, the Group achieved an overall score of 90/100, the highest in the Multi-Utility & Water sector, against a sector average of 32/100. The ratings obtained were 89/100 in Environment, 91/100 in Social and 91/100 in Economic & Governance, achieving a leadership position in all three areas assessed. These results provide further recognition of Hera’s commitment to all aspects of sustainability as an integral part of its 20-year growth strategy focused on creating value for its stakeholders. Listed since 2003 and part of the FTSE MIB since 2019, Hera stock, which has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since 2020, was also listed on the MIB ESG Index in 2021, the first blue-chip index for Italy dedicated to ESG best practices, launched by Euronext. This year, the Hera Group also became part of the TOP 10 of Refinitiv’s international “Diversity & Inclusion Index” ranking, first overall among multi-utilities and first among Italian companies, as confirmation of its commitment to promoting diversity, inclusion and people development. 20221210_Hera in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index 2022.pdf 09:49:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 10/12/2022 alle ore 09:49
Press releases
01/12/2022
Price sensitive
M&A
Hera Spa

Ascopiave sells 8% of Estenergy’s capital to the Hera Group

2022-12-01 Ascopiave partially exercised the put option on its investment in EstEnergy, selling 8% of the capital to Hera Comm, the majority shareholder. Subsequent to the transaction, the Hera Group will hold a 60% stake in EstEnergy, the largest energy player in North-Eastern Italy with over one million customers. Today, Ascopiave S.p.A. and the Hera Group, through the subsidiary Hera Comm, signed the agreement for the sale by Ascopiave S.p.A. of an 8% stake in the capital of EstEnergy, the commercial joint venture established in 2019 that is the largest energy player in North-Eastern Italy with over one million customers. The sale derives from the partial exercise of the put option held by Ascopiave on its stake in the company, in compliance with the agreements signed between the parties upon establishing the partnership. The sale value is based on the fair market value of the company, estimated at 79.2 million euros with payment within December 2022. As a result of the transaction, which will be finalised by the end of 2022, the Hera Group’s stake in EstEnergy will rise to 60%, while Ascopiave will hold 40% of the share capital, without prejudice to the right to sell such stake under the conditions already defined, in addition to maintaining the current governance rights. The operation, which is consistent with the objectives set out in its strategic plan, will enable the Ascopiave Group to improve the sustainability of its capital structure and consequently finance medium-term investments in the core business and diversification. Similarly, the Hera Group, in line with the objectives set forth in its business plan, further strengthens its presence in North-Eastern Italy, continuing to generate concrete benefits for customers and the communities served, through high-quality services, investments, innovation, and environmental and resource protection. PR Estenergy stake ENGLISH final.pdf 11:27:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 01/12/2022 alle ore 11:27
Press releases
29/11/2022
Price sensitive
M&A
Hera Spa

THE HERA GROUP AND ASCOPIAVE ACQUIRE 92% OF ASCO TLC

2022-11-29 The partnership between the two companies, which won the public tender called by Asco Holding, is a strategic milestone in the evolution of the business portfolio of the two groups in the IT sector, consistent with their respective industrial plans. Ascopiave and the Hera Group, through its subsidiary Acantho, won the public tender called by Asco Holding for the sale of 92% of the shares of Asco TLC, held by Asco Holding itself and by the Chamber of Commerce of Treviso-Belluno. Asco TLC, a provider of ICT services since 2001, mainly dealing with corporate clients and public administrations, owns a significant network located in Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia, boasting over 2,200 km of fibre optic backbone, 56 communications towers and 24 xDSL unbundled stations, and supplies its services to over 2,700 customers. This partnership is a strategic landmark in the enhancement of Ascopiave’s and the Hera Group’s business portfolio in the IT sector, in line with the industrial plans of the two groups. It also represents the first stage of a potentially broader operation which would lead, by means of the merger through acquisition of Asco TLC into Acantho, to the creation of a multi-regional player capable of achieving significant operational synergies compared to stand-alone companies, also benefiting customers. The operation in detail Ascopiave and Acantho, in partnership with stakes of 60% and 40% respectively, won the tender invited last April by Asco Holding and, subsequent to the due diligence conducted at the end of July, on 3rd November jointly submitted the binding offer, as required by the tender procedure. The purchase price, which will be settled by cash, amounts to Euro 37.2 million, against a normalised net financial position of Euro 0.1 million at 30th June 2022. The closing of the transaction is conditional upon the fulfilment of the conditions precedent set out in the tender documents, specifically the acquisition of the necessary authorisations from the competent bodies. The Hera Group is one of the leading Italian multi-utility companies, operating in the environmental, energy and water sectors and employing over 9,000 people, who are committed every day to responding to the many needs of around 5 million citizens located mainly in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Tuscany and Abruzzi. Listed since 2003, it is one of the top 40 Italian companies in terms of capitalisation (it is included in the Ftse Mib index) and since 2020 it has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World and Europe Index. Acantho, a telecommunications operator, is the digital company of the Hera Group. Thanks to the development of a proprietary ultra-broadband fibre optic network extending for over 230,000 kilometres and its Data Centres in Imola and Siziano, it has been offering ICT services and tools in the Data & Voice Communication, Hybrid MultiCloud, Cyber & Physical Security and Smart City fields for over 20 years, contributing to the competitiveness of small and large enterprises and the development and innovation of the territory. www.gruppohera.it - www.acantho.it The Ascopiave Group is one of the leading operators in natural gas distribution in the country. The Group owns concessions and direct assignments for the management of activities in 308 Towns, supplying services to over 890,000 inhabitants, through a network of about 14,500 kilometres. Ascopiave is also a partner of the Hera Group in the sale of gas and electricity, through a 48% stake in Est Energy, a leading operator in the field holding a portfolio of over 1 million sales contracts to end users, mainly in Veneto, Friuli Venezia-Giulia and Lombardy regions. In the water sector, Ascopiave is a shareholder and technological partner of Cogeide, which manages the integrated water service in 15 Towns within the Bergamo Province, serving a population of over 100 thousand inhabitants, through a network of 880 km. In addition, Ascopiave operates in the renewable energy field, through 28 hydro-electric and wind power stations, with a rated capacity of 62.5 MW. Through its subsidiary Salinella Eolico S.r.l., Ascopiave is about to undertake the erection of a wind farm. Ascopiave has been listed under the Euronext Star Milan segment of Borsa Italiana since 12th December 2006. www.gruppoascopiave.it Contact: Hera S.p.A. Giuseppe Gagliano - External Relations Manager + 39 051.287138 Cecilia Bondioli - Media Relations Manager + 39 051.287138 – + 39 320.4790622 Contact: Community Group Ascopiave Giuliano Pasini Tel. +39 0438 / 980098 Auro Palomba Roberto Zava - Media Relator Tel. +39 0422 / 416111 Cell. +39 335 / 1852403 Mob. +39 335 / 6085019 Giacomo Bignucolo – Investor Relator Cell. +39 335 / 1311193 20221129 PR ASCO TLC final.pdf 15:03:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 29/11/2022 alle ore 15:03
Press releases
09/11/2022
Hera Spa
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Financial Results

Hera Board of Directors approves 3Q 2022 results

2022-11-09 Despite the complex macro scenario, the Group’s quarterly report at 30 September 2022 shows an increase in Ebitda compared to 2021. Hera’s multi-business model, balanced between internal growth and M&As, and its financial solidity have made it possible to seize strategic market opportunities, while maintaining a low risk profile, and to confirm the generation of value for all stakeholders, including actions intended to support customers experiencing difficulty. Financial highlights Ebitda* at 875 million euro (+2.4%) Net result* at 248 million euro (-5.6%) Net financial debt at 4,489 million euro, with net debt/Ebitda* at 3.62x Investments increase sharply to 463 million euro (+22.8%) Operating highlights Contribution to growth coming from core businesses Expansion in initiatives for the ecological transition and the circular economy Commercial margins maintained in the energy area Significant operating investments in networks, plus a significant effort in gas storage, as well as the completion of a number of M&As Solid energy customer base, approximately 3.5 million Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated quarterly report at 30 September 2022. Although the results achieved in the first nine months of the year are part of a complicated scenario, characterised by ongoing volatility on the energy market, which became even more pronounced over the last three months, as well as the complex current economic and geopolitical conditions and the gradual increase in inflation in the country, these figures highlight the Group’s ability to offset adversity, continuing to pursue the goals set out in its business plan, with increasing sustainable investments aimed at generating positive effects for the communities and local areas served. Moreover, the Hera Group’s resilient business model, the management policies it implements and its financial solidity have continued to enable it to seize the strategic opportunities offered by the market, to guarantee a high quality and continuity in its services while at the same time supporting and confirming the commitments made to all its stakeholders. Among the initiatives in support of stakeholders, note the flexibility shown towards the Group’s suppliers, who were able to revise their supply conditions based on inflation, and the significant gas storage initiative intended to support the customer base and the Italian gas system as a whole. As regards customers, thanks to the special attention to disadvantaged users, more favourable instalment terms than those provided for by law, an extension of the social bonus to include district heating, compliance with and maintenance of fixed-price contractual conditions, to date the performance in receipts for bills has been confirmed as essentially regular. Moreover, continuing along the path of continuous growth that aims to provide its customers with efficient, innovative and competitive solutions in terms of both costs and sustainability with respect to the circular economy, * In order to make the reading of the results more closely reflect the actual performance of the gas area and to ensure that these results are more easily comparable, the figures with an asterisk include a operational adjustment that considers a valuation of the gas injected into storage at the prices dating to the injection period, thus excluding supplies intended for delivery to end customers with costs defined in 2021 (much lower than costs in 2022). See the section the Hera Group continued to expand its scope of operations. In the energy area, the company Con Energia was acquired through subsidiary Hera Comm, while in the waste management area, Marche Multiservizi acquired the company Macero Maceratese, which specialises in waste recovery and treatment in the province of Macerata. In recent weeks, an important transaction was also finalised, which will take effect as of 2023. This is a long-term partnership that foresees the acquisition of 60% of the company A.C.R. di Reggiani Albertino S.p.A.®, one of Italy’s largest companies operating in the sector of remediation, industrial waste treatment, industrial plant decommissioning and civil works related to oil & gas, based in Mirandola (Modena). The new company will also bring together a number of remediation and global service activities already managed by the Hera Group through the company HASI. This transaction further consolidates the Hera Group's leadership in the waste management sector and will create Italy’s leading operator in the remediation and global service business, with a widespread presence throughout the peninsula. Revenues rise to roughly 14.3 billion euro In the first nine months of 2022, revenues amounted to 14,320.1 million euro, up sharply (+122.9%) from the 6,424.3 million euro seen in the same period of the previous year. In particular, the energy segments showed significant growth mainly due to the increase in the price of energy commodities, which reached very high figures, especially in the third quarter of the year. In addition, growth in energy services was related to energy efficiency-oriented interventions in homes (insulation bonus and 110% super-bonus) and an increase in activities involving value-added services for customers. New acquisitions in the industrial market, energy production and higher market prices were mainly responsible for the higher revenues in the waste management sector. Ebitda* increases to 874.8 million euro Ebitda* for the first nine months of the year amounted to 874.8 million euro, up 2.4% from the 854.4 million euro seen at 30 September 2021. The performance of the waste management area was particularly good, with Ebitda up 27.8 million euro, as was that of the water cycle area, up 7.3 million euro, fully offsetting the lower contributions coming from the energy area and the other services area. Despite the increasingly unfavourable market situation, overall operations in the third quarter for all energy sales activities in the Group’s portfolio (considering not only gas and electricity, but also energy services) led to results that were essentially in line with the same period of 2021. Financial operations essentially stable and pre-tax profit* at 347.5 million euro The result from financial operations for the first nine months of 2022 came to 89.5 million euro, basically stable compared to the 85.4 million seen during the first nine months of 2021. This change is mainly due to the increase in net financial debt generated by the trend in energy commodity prices compared to 2021. Despite the slight negative impact of financial operations and higher depreciation and amortisation, provisions and impairment losses, pre-tax profit* amounted to 347.5 million euro, basically in line with the 356.5 million euro recorded in the first nine months of 2021. Net result* and at 248.4 million euro With a tax rate of 28.5%, up from the same period in 2021 (26.2%) mainly due to the recognition of the non-recurring contribution against high utility bills (amounting to 2.3 million euro) and the recognition of lower benefits related to the tax credit on investments linked to the technological, digital and environmental transformation, the net result* and net profit* for the first nine months of 2022 amounted to 248.4 million euro. Net profit was largely stable compared to the 263 million seen at 30 September 2021. Strong growth in investments and net financial debt sensitive to the higher value of stored gas In the first nine months of 2022, the Hera Group’s operating investments, including capital grants, amounted to 463.3 million euro, up 22.8% compared to the 377.2 million euro seen in the same period of the previous year, with a major focus on resilience- and circularity-oriented projects, as set out in the business plan. The most significant interventions concerned plants, networks, and infrastructures, as well as regulatory upgrading focusing on gas distribution and the integrated water cycle, respectively involving a large-scale replacement of new-generation meters and specific interventions in the purification and sewerage areas. A significant amount of financial resources (about 820 million euro, more than 10 times the amount seen in 2021) was invested in gas storage, consistent with the effort requested by the government from operators in the sector to contribute to a secure supply in the following months. This is a strategic and temporary investment (the storage facilities will be emptied progressively, lasting through the first half of 2023), which gives the Group security and flexibility in supplying gas to its customers over the upcoming months, reducing risks and guaranteeing flexibility and margins in supply management. Net financial debt increased to 4,489.2 million euro, compared to the 3,261.3 million euro seen at 31 December 2021. This growth is attributable to the increase in net working capital, which rose as a result of both the significant gas storage initiatives completed and higher energy commodity prices in 2022 compared to the previous year. The increase in the Group’s debt is reflected in the net debt to Ebitda* ratio, which rose to 3.62x. Not including the deployment of resources for the gas inventory, which is expected to come back into line within the next six months, this ratio stands at 2.9x. Gas Ebitda* for the gas area - which includes natural gas distribution and sales, district heating, and energy services - rose to 377 million euro, a strong improvement (+23.8%) compared to the 304.5 million euro seen in the same period last year. This growth, both in terms of margins and volumes sold to end customers, was mainly due to the opportunities created in the energy services sector by energy efficiency incentives (110% super-bonus and insulation bonus), by the corporate acquisitions of Con Energia and Eco Gas, and by the tenders awarded involving the last resort and Consip markets. More specifically, for the period 1 October 2021 - 30 September 2023, Hera Comm was awarded 6 lots of the last resort gas service in 12 regions of Italy, all 9 lots of the default gas distribution service in 19 regions and 2 lots of the Consip GAS14 tender for supplying natural gas to public administrations in 2022, both in Lombardy. A slight increase occurred in the gas customer base (+0.7% compared to the same period of the previous year), which overall came to almost 2.1 million The gas area accounted for 43.1% of Group Ebitda. Electricity Ebitda for the electricity area - which includes generation, distribution and sales of electricity as well as value-added services - amounted to 22.1 million euro, compared to the 103.5 million euro seen in the same period of 2021. The main reasons for this trend consist in different conditions on energy markets compared to the previous year, linked in particular to the exceptional context of rising raw material prices, which affected procurement activities and impacted margins. One must note, however, the solid commercial development, confirmed by an increase in the customer base and a greater adherence to innovative offers (relating to electric mobility, photovoltaics, heating and air conditioning) as well as value-added services. Furthermore, through a tender Hera Comm was awarded 4 lots of the Consip EE19 tender for supplying electricity to public administrations in 2022 in the province of Rome and 3 other regions, 3 lots of the graduated protected service for supplying electricity to SMEs for the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024 in 9 regions, and 1 lot of the safeguarded service for the years 2021 and 2022 in 3 regions. The customer base in the electricity area came to over 1.4 million (+2.6%), mainly due to increased commercial actions in the free market. The electricity area accounted for 2.5% of Group Ebitda. Water cycle Ebitda for the integrated water cycle area - which includes aqueduct, purification and sewerage services - amounted to 205.8 million euro at 30 September 2022, up (+3.7%) compared to the 198.5 million euro seen in the same period of the previous year. This change was mainly due to ARERA’s recognition of Hera’s commitment to high standards of technical quality. These positive results more than offset the higher procurement costs for energy components and higher operating costs in networks and plants, partially due to the increase in the price lists of suppliers of materials and services. Also note that, with regard to concessions, Atersir definitively awarded the tender for the integrated water service in the Province of Rimini to Hera for the period from 2022 to 2039. The Hera Group, already the outgoing operator in 24 municipalities in this province, will be responsible for this service over the next 18 years, during which it will focus on innovation and sustainability. In the first nine months of 2022, investments in the integrated water cycle area amounted to 135.1 million euro, up by 14.9 million euro compared to the previous year, and mainly involved extensions, reclamation and upgrading on networks and plants, as well as regulatory upgrading mainly in the purification and sewerage areas (90.7 million euro in the aqueduct, 34.4 million euro in sewerage and 24.3 million euro in purification). The integrated water cycle area accounted for 23.5% of Group Ebitda. Waste management Ebitda for the environment area - which includes waste collection, treatment, recovery and disposal services - rose to 246.2 million euro at 30 September 2022, +12.7% compared to the 218.4 million euro seen for the first nine months of 2021. Waste treatment activities contributed to this result above all, with Ebitda coming to 197.3 million euro, up by 29.8 million euro, while for collection and sweeping services, to which the Group has always paid great attention in terms of service quality and development, Ebitda amounted to 48.9 million euro. These margins are in line with expectations and occurred within a context characterised by the beginning of new concessions in the Ravenna-Cesena, Modena and Bologna areas and the ensuing increase in service costs in these same areas. Despite the complexity of the current external context, the Group continues to guarantee a considerable level of growth by consolidating its leadership in the waste management sector, particularly in the industrial market and in recovery, favoured by its excellent set of plants (roughly one hundred certified, state-of-the-art plants capable of treating all types of waste), by M&A operations and by sound management and commercial policies. The increase in Ebitda was mainly due to higher margins in energy management, coming to roughly 23 million euro, the expansion of the industrial waste market with new acquisitions, amounting to approximately 2 million euro, and the increase in price of treated waste, partially offset by an increase in purchasing prices for consumables and treatment and transport costs. Investments in the waste management area, which mainly involved maintenance and enhancement of waste treatment plants, amounted to 96.8 million euro, up 44.0 million euro over the previous year. Of these, 21.4 million euro were invested in waste-to-energy plants, including revamping on the Trieste plant and non-recurring maintenance on the Bologna and Rimini plants, while roughly 15 million euro were allocated to the composting/digesting chain, in particular for the beginning of construction on a new plant for biomethane production through the company Biorg, created out of a partnership with Inalca, part of the Cremonini Group. Environmental resource protection was also confirmed as a priority objective in 2022, including the maximisation of their reuse, as is further demonstrated by the increase in sorted waste collection, which in the first nine months of 2022 reached 66.8%, up 2% compared to 30 September 2021. The environment area accounted for 28.1% of Group Ebitda. The manager responsible for drafting the company’s accounting statements, Massimo Vai, declares, pursuant to article 154-bis paragraph 2 of the TUF, that the information contained in the present press release corresponds to the documentation available and to the account books and entries. The financial statements and related materials will be available to the public pursuant to the terms established by law at the Company Headquarters and on the website www.gruppohera.it. Unaudited extracts from the Intermediate Consolidated Financial Statements at 30 September 2022 are attached. 20221109 3Q2022 Financial results Hera Group.pdf 14:01:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 09/11/2022 alle ore 14:01
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07/11/2022
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M&A

Hera Group and ACR create the leading Italian operator in remediation and global service activities

2022-11-07 The binding agreement signed today provides for the acquisition by the Hera Group of 60% of ACR, based in Modena and leader in the remediation and industrial waste treatment sector. Today, the Hera Group, acting through its subsidiary Herambiente Servizi Industriali (HASI), signed a binding agreement for a long-term partnership that provides for the acquisition of 60% of the company A.C.R. di Reggiani Albertino S.p.A. ® (hereinafter ACR), one of Italy’s largest companies in the reclamation sector, involved in industrial waste treatment, decommissioning industrial plants and oil & gas-related civil works, based in Mirandola (Modena). The new company will also bring together some of the remediation and global services activities carried out by HASI. This unprecedented transaction gives way to the leading national operator in the remediation and global services business, with an extensive presence throughout Italy. The Hera Group will thus further strengthen its leadership in the waste treatment sector, thanks to its approximately one hundred certified, state-of-the-art plants. It can now rely on ACR’s high operating capacity, time-to-market in services and significant machinery and equipment, which is already active in over 100 remediation sites with over 450 employees and having among its customers the major players in the oil & gas sector. With this partnership, on the one hand, the Hera Group will reach in advance the target in reclamation activities set out in its business plan, following up on the path of growth already achieved in this area in terms of both size and sustainability/circular economy, in line with the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda, which over the last 10 years have enabled it to double its customer base. On the other hand, ACR is implementing its strategic plan by making an agreement concerning commercial areas with a leading national player in the sector, strengthening its presence in its core remediation business and entering the world of global services. The details of the transaction The synergies between the Hera Group’s set of plants and its multi-business strategy and ACR’s consolidated experience in environmental and industrial remediation are unique nationwide, in terms of know-how and waste treatment capacity, capable of creating significant and positive operating effects in the sectors in which the two companies operate, thus pooling their respective experience and outstanding skills. Through its subsidiary HASI, the Hera Group now manages 18 multi-purpose sites dedicated to treating waste produced by companies, and processes 1.3 million tonnes of industrial waste every year. In 2021, ACR generated revenues amounting to roughly 110 million euro, with Ebitda coming to approximately 17 million in the sectors concerned by the transaction. The current owners of ACR (the Reggiani family) will maintain 40% of the new corporate structure. In order to regulate the future governance, a Shareholders Agreement will be signed that provides for a Board of Directors of the new ACR made up of 5 members, 3 of whom will be appointed by the Hera Group and 2 by the Reggiani family, with the nomination of the two brothers Alberto and Claudio Reggiani as CEOs. Integrating the new ACR platforms with the plants currently managed by HASI, furthermore, will increase the number of solutions close at hand in the areas served in the past, improving efficiency and quality of services to businesses, also due to synergies with Herambiente. This new partnership is therefore in line with the strategic orientation adopted by the Group, whose activities are always aimed at guaranteeing positive returns and economic benefits for its customers and for local companies. This transaction follows up on the acquisitions completed some years ago by the Hera Group (from Waste Recycling, Teseco and Pistoia Ambiente in Tuscany, to Geo Nova and Aliplast in Treviso), and more recent acquisitions including the Friuli-based company Recycla, the Vallortigara Group, with offices in Vicenza, and shareholdings in the Marche-based companies SEA and Macero Maceratese. It thus represents a further step along the path of continuous growth achieved by Hera, which aims to provide its customers with efficient, innovative and competitive solutions in terms of both costs and sustainability in the circular economy. “With this new acquisition, we bring together the excellence and strengths of two leading companies that, together, complement each other synergistically to respond in an increasingly efficient and extensive way to the needs of companies, particularly those with large industrial plants where complex types of waste, both solid and liquid, must be treated. With this transaction, we have consolidated our leadership in this sector and aim to further reinforce our range of integrated waste management services, benefitting the entire national territory”, comments Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. “Becoming part of a large and financially solid company such as the Hera Group, well rooted in the areas served and provided with many specialisations, will allow us to broaden our horizons and enrich our activities in the waste management sector, integrating all the necessary and fundamental skills to be counted among the most important players nationwide in the area of remediation. We and our collaborators are convinced that this aggregation will allow us to face and overcome highly significant challenges together,” explain the brothers Alberto and Claudio Reggiani, CEOs of A.C.R. di Reggiani Albertino S.p.A.® In addition to the agreement signed today, the partnership will be subject to the usual conditions applied to this type of transaction and to all communications and approvals by the relevant authorities and bodies, as well as, with regard to the shareholdings involved, to the effectiveness of a number of preliminary transactions within ACR. The parties expect to complete the transaction by 31 March 2023. 20221007 Gruppo Hera and ACR binding agreement.pdf 18:13:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 07/11/2022 alle ore 18:13
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28/09/2022
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Hera in the Top 10 of the Diversity & Inclusion Index

2022-09-28 In the international ranking of Refinitiv’s 2022 “Diversity & Inclusion Index”, the Group is included in the TOP10 globally, becoming the world’s leading multi-utility and the top company in Italy for its commitment to diversity and people inclusion and development policies. The Hera Group has been confirmed as one of the companies most committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and people development. This has been certified once again by Refinitiv’s “Diversity & Inclusion Index”, whose 2022 edition examined over 12,000 companies worldwide and assigned to the Group a score that places Hera in the TOP10 of the international ranking, now first among multi-utilities and the top Italian company. The “Diversity & Inclusion Index” is managed by the international financial information giant Refinitiv (formerly Thomson Reuters), and evaluates companies’ performance based on an analysis of four areas: diversity, inclusion, people development and controversies related to media exposure. This index is one of the main references for investors, who are taking an increasingly positive look at companies that adopt a Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) policy. After more than 10 years of projects, activities and initiatives aimed at reducing inequality, enhancing diversity and promoting an inclusive culture, this recognition provides further confirmation of the attention that the Hera Group pays to policies in this area. This approach is confirmed by the Charter for Equal Opportunities and Equality at Work, signed as early as 2009 and matured internally, with the support of the working group led by the Diversity Manager, and later promoted outside the company context as well, to foster increasingly inclusive cities. This is also demonstrated by Hera’s personnel policies: its corporate welfare plan, for example, provides important support for Group employees and their families, with 5.3 million in services used last year alone. Hera also invests in developing internal and customised career paths, with 34% of women in positions of responsibility and, more generally, a female workforce coming to 27.3%, above the national industry average (2021 figures). Outside the company, numerous initiatives have been developed to improve relations with customers including foreigners or those with disabilities, and to help spread an inclusive culture in society through projects with schools and associations in the areas served. “Acknowledgements such as this reinforce our daily commitment to encouraging an inclusive culture in the company and in the areas where we operate”, comments Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. “Starting from corporate welfare policies and professional development paths, this also includes training, as well as numerous projects to support marginalised and disabled people, collaborating with schools and associations. On the year of our twentieth anniversary, being the leading multi-utility in the world and the top company in Italy in the field of Diversity & Inclusion represents for us not a point of arrival, but rather an additional reason to continue to improve and to commit ourselves. All of this urges us, indeed, to put our workers and the citizens we serve even more at the centre, also benefiting the younger generations and favouring social equity, always with a view to pursuing the creation of shared value for all stakeholders.” Hera Group in the DI Index 2022.pdf 12:41:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 28/09/2022 alle ore 12:41
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28/09/2022
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CIRFOOD and Hera Group: a pact for sustainability

2022-09-28 These two Emilia-Romagna companies have signed a three-year agreement to launch circular economy initiatives and boost sorted waste collection and recovery CIRFOOD, a leading Italian cooperative company active in the collective and commercial catering and welfare services sector, and the Hera Group, one of Italy’s largest multi-utilities, signed a memorandum of understanding today – one day before the International Food Loss and Waste Awareness Day – to collaborate on projects aimed at fostering circular economy, environmental sustainability and sustainable mobility, consistent with the sustainable development goals set out in the UN 2030 Agenda. The agreement signed today between Hera and CIRFOOD, which for years have both been committed to promoting initiatives aimed at sustainability, will last three years and will be developed by gradually implementing a series of environmental projects and initiatives. This will begin with catering outlets located mainly in the areas served by Hera, and will gradually expand its scope of action to other regions. Extensive awareness-raising activities will also be jointly developed, targeting both employees and customers, to whom specific campaigns will be dedicated. This collaboration is even more significant if one considers the figures represented by the two companies. In 2021 alone, CIRFOOD, Italy’s foremost company in collective catering, prepared more than 77 million meals, employing almost 12 thousand people and managing 1,700 kitchens and 120 public establishments. As of today, this large organisation will benefit from the Hera Group’s twenty years of experience in the field of waste management: Hera is in fact the leading national operator in terms of waste treated and in 2021 reached over 65.3% of sorted waste collection on average in the areas it serves (over 180 municipalities with 3.2 million citizens). Moreover, Hera was the first utility in Italy to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, a prestigious international network that brings together the world’s most active players in the transition towards the circular economy. Projects in the circular economy, environmental sustainability and sustainable mobility In the current economic and environmental context, waste is an increasingly urgent issue which must be addressed, and to which the Italian and European political agenda is also focused, making those involved in its production and management increasingly responsible. With this agreement, Hera and CIRFOOD have launched a collaboration concerning several specific projects in the field of environmental sustainability, from countering food waste to finding solutions for sustainable mobility, without forgetting research on solutions consistent with the principles of the circular economy both in choosing between types of packaging and in managing their end-of-life, up to the most advanced solutions in valorising discarded materials, whether food or otherwise. The organic waste produced in catering outlets will thus be used to produce biomethane and compost in the Hera Group’s plant near Bologna, in Sant’Agata Bolognese, while exhausted vegetable oils (those that remain at the end of food preparation, e.g. frying oils, or those used to preserve food) that are separately collected can be used to produce hydrogenated biofuel, thanks to the partnership signed by Hera with Eni. Hera and CIRFOOD will also collaborate in studying the best materials to use as an alternative to single-use plastic, combining food safety with the lowest possible environmental impact, and in developing projects to recycle the plastic used in catering outlets. Hera will furthermore be able to provide support on how to sort and treat the waste produced. Over 260 CIRFOOD outlets potentially involved The number of CIRFOOD catering outlets potentially involved in the various projects covered by the protocol signed today comes to 269. More specifically, as of 1 September, 245 kitchens send their used cooking oil to Hera, while the organic waste produced in 24 catering outlets can be used to produce biomethane and compost at the Hera Group’s plant in Sant’Agata Bolognese. “The transition to the circular economy is first and foremost a cultural challenge. This agreement with CIRFOOD provides a virtuous example of this fact, and bears witness to how even companies that are apparently quite distant as regards their daily activities can find common ground and bring about this important change together”, says Orazio Iacono, CEO of the Hera Group. “The challenges currently facing us require an ever greater valorisation of what, until quite recently, we used to call waste. Today, it must be increasingly considered as a resource, or an opportunity to consume fewer raw materials and to create and sustain an efficient recovery industry that contributes to the well-being and prosperity of our communities.” “The scope of the economic, social and environmental changes we are now undergoing requires us to become even more aware of the role each of us plays in safeguarding our planet’s resources”, comments Chiara Nasi, Chairman of CIRFOOD. “CIRFOOD is committed every day to implementing solutions that can guarantee sustainable development, to the benefit of all its stakeholders, the company and the area served. We also know, however, that the action of one single company is not enough. Sustainability can only be seen as a common goal, and the joint commitment of CIRFOOD and HERA on circular economy issues is intended as a response to the needs of communities and the challenges faced by society, from an intergenerational perspective.” 20220928 Hera Group and CIRFOOD sustainability pact.pdf 10:31:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 28/09/2022 alle ore 10:31
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06/09/2022
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SynBioS: “power to gas” and multi-business expertise, to meet the challenge of decarbonisation

2022-09-06 Within 2023, the Hera Group will build a system in Bologna equipped with “power to gas” technology, integrated with its largest water purification plant. One of the first to be built internationally, it will be able to convert renewable electricity and wastewater into “green” hydrogen and then into biomethane. It will thus be possible to power the annual consumption of 1,200 households and avoid CO2 emissions equivalent to the amount produced in one year by 400 cars. The Hera Group, one of Italy’s largest multi-utility companies, presents its innovative “power to gas” plant named SynBioS (Syngas Biological Storage) at the Gastech exhibition in Milan, an event dedicated to the energy sector. This plant will be able to convert renewable electricity and wastewater into “green” hydrogen and then into biomethane. SynBioS, located in Bologna Corticella, inside the largest purification plant by users served among those managed by the Group, is currently scheduled to be operational within 2023 and is linked to the support coming from incentives, including for example those coming from the PNRR. One of the first to be built internationally, the SynBioS plant has been made possible thanks to an investment coming to around 10 million euro and the synergies created between energy decarbonisation and water purification. The Group’s multi-business know-how, combined with its continuous investments in innovation, research and development, are in fact the strategic drivers that over the years have enabled Hera to develop cutting-edge integrated solutions in the field of “clean energy”, in line with the programmes outlined in its Business Plan. For this project the Group has confirmed the collaboration with its outstanding partner Pietro Fiorentini, an Italian market leader in the production of products and services for the entire natural gas chain, that in recent years has made significant investments in developing innovative solutions related to the renewable energy sector. A plant to obtain biomethane from renewable electricity The plant, which uses “power-to-gas” technology to convert renewable electricity into synthetic natural gas, not only increases the pollutant reduction potential of the sewage treatment plant, but also allows excess renewable energy to be valorised by reusing biomethane in the city’s distribution network, which thus acts as a long-term storage facility. More specifically, the plant will use wastewater and renewable electricity to produce “green” hydrogen and oxygen. Taking advantage of the CO2 found in the biogas produced by sewage sludge digestion, the hydrogen is converted into biomethane, which can then be fed into the city’s gas network, without concentration limits, and easily stored, thus enabling a diversified supply. Furthermore, oxygen will be used in the future to increase the sewage treatment plant’s capacity and efficiency in purification. The figures: the annual methane gas consumption of 1,200 households sustainably covered At full capacity, coming to 1 MW, the plant will be able to produce approximately 190 Nm3/h of green gas, preventing roughly 50 Nm3/h of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere, corresponding to the annual impact of about 400 cars. This is a true flagship project from the point of view of the circular economy: while producing enough methane to cover the annual consumption of 1,200 households, in fact, the plant will use the waste water produced by about 50 people every day, also helping to increase the quality of the purification process itself. “For our Group, this plant represents a further significant experience in process integration between our state-of-the-art plants and an industrial synergy between the electricity grid and the city’s gas distribution network. The ‘power-to-gas’ plant and the purification plant, in fact, will work in a strong symbiosis within a perfectly circular regime”, says Alessandro Baroncini, the Hera Group’s Central Director for Networks. “Moreover, it provides additional confirmation of the Group’s commitments included in its significant investment programme, aimed at innovation and improving the performance of networks and plants, with a view to continuously ensuring the highest service quality and efficiency and pursuing the goals of energy decarbonisation, environmental sustainability and resource protection, in line with the strategies outlined in our Business Plan. This initiative, once again, sees us as a forerunner in the sector, with the hope of providing the government and the regulator with elements that can help support the industrial development of these applications.” “The strategic vision of the Hera Group, an excellence among our multi-utilities, coincides exactly with what Pietro Fiorentini has developed in recent years to support the ambitious European programmes as regards the energy transition”, says Cristiano Nardi, Executive Chairman of the Pietro Fiorentini Group. “We believe that the construction of the Bologna Corticella plant represents a fundamental milestone in the evolution of the energy sector, which is now facing a range of new challenges. Being a partner of the Hera Group once again for this challenging project is for us a source of great satisfaction and pride.” 20220906 SynBioS technical description (123 kb - PDF) 20220906 SynBioS to meet the decarbonization challenge.pdf 14:00:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 05/09/2022 alle ore 14:00
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27/07/2022
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Financial Results
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Hera BoD approves 1H 2022 results

2022-07-27 The half-year report shows increasing revenues and Ebitda, thanks to the contribution coming from the Group’s main business areas. The management policies implemented and the solidity and resilience of Hera’s business model have once again proven effective, allowing the Group to achieve results in line with the projections of the Business Plan to 2025, even in the current difficult economic situation, and to continue creating value for all stakeholders. Financial highlights Revenues at 8,896.0 million euro (+112.8%) Ebitda* at 631.2 million euro (+3.3%) Net profit* at 201.7 million euro (-12.7%) Net financial debt at 3,682.4 million euro, with Net debt/Ebitda* at 2.96x, confirming the Group’s financial solidity Operating highlights Contribution to growth comes from main businesses Further development of initiatives for the ecological transition and the circular economy Solid energy customer base, amounting to roughly 3.5 million Today, the Board of Directors of the Hera Group, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated operating results for the first half of 2022. Despite the complicated scenario, marked by ongoing volatility on energy markets and international geopolitical conflicts, the Hera Group’s management policies and its solid and resilient business model have once again proven effective. The Group has thus achieved results that guarantee both quality and continuity of services and the constant creation of value for all stakeholders. Hera’s now consolidated multi-business strategy, balanced between internal growth and M&As, as well as between regulated and free market activities, indeed allowed the Group, even in scenarios characterised by increasingly frequent systemic crises, to positively face the challenges of 2022. The results achieved in the first half of the year are even more appreciable considering that they also fully offset the negative impact of ARERA’s resolution 614/2021, containing a reduction of return on capital invested in regulated activities (WACC). As regards changes in the scope of consolidation, the energy areas benefited from the acquisitions, through the subsidiary Hera Comm, of 90% of the Abruzzo company Eco Gas and 100% of the company Con Energia. Also note that Hera Comm was awarded the gradual protection service for electricity supply to SMEs in 9 Italian regions. In the waste management area, compared to June 2021, note the integration of 80% of the Vallortigara Group, which provides services to industries, public administrations and citizens and manages a multi-purpose platform for special waste treatment in the Veneto region. * In order to ensure that the results presented reflect the actual performance of the gas business more clearly, and are thus more easily comparable, the figures with an asterisk include an operational adjustment based on a valuation of stocked gas at prices pertaining to the period of injection, thus excluding procurement intended for delivery to end customers with costs defined in 2021 (much lower than the costs seen in the second quarter of 2022). See the paragraph entitled “Special items and operational adjustments / balance sheet reconciliation” in the first-half financial report, which contains a comparison between the operating and the consolidated statements. Furthermore, note the acquisition on 30 June 2022, through the subsidiary Marche Multiservizi, of 70% of Macero Maceratese, which operates in the waste management sector. With this additional transaction, the Hera Group has strengthened its nationwide leadership in the waste management sector, and industrial waste management and treatment in particular. Revenues reach roughly 8.9 billion euro In the first half of 2022, revenues amounted to 8,896.0 million euro, with a sharp increase (+112.8%) compared to 4,179.7 million euro seen at 30 June 2021, thanks to the contribution coming from all major business areas. The energy areas in particular showed significant growth, mainly related to the increase in commodity prices. Furthermore, growth in energy services was related to energy efficiency in residential buildings (insulation bonus and 110% super-bonus) and increasing activities involving value-added services for customers. As regards the waste management area, instead, higher revenues mainly came from energy production, the expansion of business customer base and changes in market prices. Ebitda* increases to 631.2 million euro Ebitda* for the first half of 2022 rose to 631.2 million euro (+3.3%), against 610.9 million euro at 30 June 2021, up 20.3 million euro, mainly due to contributions coming from the energy, waste management and water areas. Financial operations improved, pre-tax profit and net profit substantially stable The result of financial operations for the first six months of 2022 came to 50.9 million euro, with a 4.2 million euro improvement compared to 30 June 2021, mainly due to lower financial expenses on long-term debt (the result of debt optimisation operations) and lower expenses from discounting provisions. Compared to the equivalent figures for the previous year, pre-tax profit* thus amounted to 284.0 million euro, up slightly (+0.9%) over the 281.5 million euro seen one year earlier, while net profit* pre-minorities, equal to 201.7 million euro, remained in line with that as at 30 June 2021 (206.4 million euro). Net results* at 201.7 million Net profit* at 30 June 2022 amounted to 201.7 million euro, down from 231.1 million in the first half of 2021, which included non-recurring items amounting to 24.7 million, caused by a tax realignment and the partial repurchase of some bonds. Investments rise; net financial debt affected by the higher value of gas storage In the first half of 2022, the Group’s operating investments, including capital grants, amounted to 287.1 million euro, up sharply (+16.3%) compared to the 246.9 million euro seen during the same period of the previous year, and were mainly related to works on plants, networks and infrastructures. Alongside the latter, regulatory adjustments mainly concerned gas distribution, with a large-scale replacement of meters, and the purification and sewerage area. Net financial debt went from 3,261.3 million euro at 31 December 2021 to 3,682.4 million euro at 30 June 2022, showing an increase coming to roughly 421.1 million euro. This was mainly due to a change in net working capital*, due to the higher value of stored gas, already contracted to better serve the needs of the upcoming thermal season and guarantee quality and continuity of service to customers. The net debt/Ebitda* ratio increased slightly, reaching 2.96x. Gas Ebitda* for the gas area – which includes natural gas distribution and sales, district heating and energy services – amounted to 299.3 million euro in the first half of 2022, a strong improvement (+26.2%) over the 237.1 million euro seen at 30 June 2021. This increase was mainly driven by higher sales and trading, thanks to an expansion of the area served resulting from last resort markets and the recent corporate acquisitions of Eco Gas and Con Energia, as well as the positive margins recorded on traditional markets. Also note the growth in incentivised activities involving energy efficiency and district heating services, and the increased earnings in the gas business in Bulgaria A slight increase occurred in the gas customer base (+1.6% compared to the same period of the previous year), which came close to 2.1 million overall. This growth took place both on last resort markets and on traditional markets, thanks to the expansion of the area served owing to the Consip tenders and the aforementioned acquisitions in the energy sector. The gas area accounted for 47.4% of Group Ebitda. Electricity Ebitda for the electricity area – which includes electricity generation, distribution and sales services – amounted to 40.1 million euro, down compared to the same period in 2021 due to different conditions on energy markets, related to the exceptional context of rising raw material prices, which caused a lesser use of the dispatching services market and made procurement activities more costly, particularly in customer consumption profiling. Note the positive result obtained from sales initiatives involving free market customers, supported by innovative offers, value-added services and improved customer experience. Alongside this, Hera Comm was awarded, for the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024, the gradual protection service for electricity supply to SMEs in nine Italian regions. An increasing request for value-added services was also seen, with 49% growth in customers compared to the previous year, demonstrating the growing loyalty of the Group’s customer base. The customer base in the electricity area also continued to expand, now exceeding 1.4 million (+5.6%), mainly as a result of activities on the free market, both due to the gradual protection service awarded and the strengthening of the commercial actions introduced. The electricity area accounted for 6.4% of Group Ebitda. Water cycle Ebitda for the integrated water cycle area – which includes aqueduct, purification and sewerage services – amounted to 125.3 million euro at 30 June 2022, up (+2.5%) compared to the 122.3 million euro seen in the first half of 2021. This increase is mainly due to the contribution coming from higher supplying revenues and the excellent performance achieved by the Group in terms of technical quality in managing the integrated water service. Note, in fact, that during 2022 the regulatory authority ARERA published the results relating to the incentive mechanism falling within the technical quality regulations established by resolution 917/2017, referring to the years 2018-2019, and the Hera Group was at the top of the nationwide ranking. In the first half of 2022, investments made in the water cycle area, including capital grants, rose to 96.2 million (59.3 million in the aqueduct, 20.8 million in sewerage and 16.0 million in purification), up 7.7% compared to the same period of 2021. The integrated water cycle area accounted for 19.9% of Group Ebitda. Waste management In the first half of 2022, Ebitda for the waste management area rose to 150.7 million euro overall, up from the 142.6 million seen at 30 June 2021. More specifically, Ebitda for waste treatment services amounted to 117.9 million, up 12.7 million, while Ebitda for collection and sweeping services amounted to 32.8 million, down 4.6 million, mainly due to the beginning of new concessions. The increased Ebitda for treatment services was primarily due to a rise in earnings from energy management and expansion in the industrial waste market. Note the increase in waste commercialised, due mainly to an increase in market waste, thanks to the consolidation of existing business relations, the larger customer portfolio and recent corporate acquisitions. The increase in sales prices for market activities was also able to fully neutralise the effect of inflation on costs. Thanks to its sound management policies and its set of plants, which continues to represent a strategic and distinctive asset, also for its ability to promote the circular economy, the Hera Group thus continues to seize opportunities for growth, confirming its ability to react with great resilience to the current market context, despite the geopolitical situation and the economic stagnation seen during the first half of the year. In Italy, in fact, the progressive and persistent increase in energy costs and the difficulties in obtaining raw materials, which began at the end of 2021, led to a slowdown in production in many manufacturing sectors during the first six months of 2022, with repercussions for waste production as well. Despite this, the Group was able to consolidate its leadership in the markets in which it operates (especially the industrial and recovery markets), with Aliplast’s continued commercial expansion in plastic recycling and regeneration. In the first six months of 2022, all the main circular economy initiatives launched in previous years continued, from material recovery to the production of renewable energy (such as the ongoing construction of a new plant in Spilamberto for biomethane production). Protecting environmental resources remains a priority objective in 2022, as does maximising their reuse, as is shown by the special attention dedicated to increasing sorted waste collection, which in the first half of 2022 stood at 66.4%, up 1.3% compared to June 2021. The waste management area accounted for 23.9% of Group Ebitda. Statement by Executive Chairman Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano The results we achieved in the first half of the year are consistent with both the growing results presented in the first quarter and the main targets included in the Business plan. Our prudent and risk-averse management policies have shown great resilience, even when faced by the current extreme scenarios, guaranteeing that our long track record of growth continues. This situation has enabled us to remain fully compliant with our commitments to investors, as demonstrated last month with the payment of a dividend in line with expectations and up 9% year-on-year. Armed with a resilient business model and a well-proven financial solidity, we are prepared to face the current context, committed to meeting our commitments towards all our stakeholders in the future as well. Statement by CEO Orazio Iacono Despite the unstable national and international energy context and extreme market volatility, the Hera Group performed better in the first half of 2022 than in the same period of the previous year, achieving overall positive results in all business areas. In addition, the Group’s financial solidity enabled us to confirm the important programme of planned investments, which were up by over 16% in the first half of the year compared to 2021 and were aimed at innovating and improving the performance of networks and plants, with a view to ensuring the highest service quality and efficiency at all times. Alongside this, we continue to pursue sustainable and inclusive growth, benefitting communities and local areas Press release H1 2022 .pdf 15:01:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 27/07/2022 alle ore 15:01
Press releases
25/07/2022
Hera Spa
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Hera is the first Italian listed company certified by Bureau Veritas for the circular economy

2022-07-25 The Group has successfully concluded its certification process with the multinational Bureau Veritas, the sector’s leader, confirming the commitment shown by Hera over the years with numerous projects and initiatives favouring the circular economy. For its circular economy projects, Hera has obtained from Bureau Veritas Italia, a leading multinational certification company, the certificate for the AFNOR XP X30-901 standard, the first issued to an Italian multi-utility. The French AFNOR XP X 30-901 standard is now the main international reference for implementing a management system for circular economy projects. This model, in fact, provides a point of reference for all companies that, wishing to adopt circular solutions within their production systems, need a certifiable guide on which to base themselves. Certification for the AFNOR standard encourages standardisation of corporate methodologies for project management, achieved by adopting a concrete tool to carry out a critical analysis of these methods in relation to areas of action and environmental, social and economic factors. More specifically, it is based on a matrix that combines the 3 classical factors involved in sustainability (environment, economy, society) with the 7 action areas of the circular economy (Sustainable Procurement, Eco-design, Industrial Symbiosis, Functional Economy, Responsible Consumption, Product Life Extension, Efficient Product and Material Management). Hera has implemented a management system for its circular economy projects and has set up the following three, according to this matrix: the “O.V.E.” project to transform the exhausted vegetable oils collected in the served area into biofuel; a project to integrate circularity criteria into procurement; and a project to reuse purified wastewater. Bureau Veritas Italia was therefore called upon to analyse them in detail and has certified the compliance of the company’s management system for circular economy projects with the AFNOR standard. “Obtaining this certification guarantees greater transparency in the results achieved by the Hera Group in the area of the Circular Economy towards all its stakeholders”, comments Marcello Guerrini, Group Manager of Corporate Services. “Sustainable development has always been at the heart of our company’s strategies, across all of its businesses, and the application of the management system foreseen by the AFNOR standard, certified by an authoritative third-party body such as Bureau Veritas, gives value to all the efforts made over the years and contributes to responding even more efficiently to Goal 12 of the 2030 UN Agenda (Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns). It thus represents a further important step for the Hera Group, which for years has been committed to initiatives aimed at favouring the transition towards an increasingly circular economy.” Andrea Filippi, Certification Service Line Manager of Bureau Veritas Italia points out that “the transition from the current linear economic system to a circular economy model goes through concrete and verifiable actions. Bureau Veritas Italia stays by the side of organisations that – like Hera – choose innovative circular models by measuring themselves against international best practices. Thanks to the management system foreseen by AFNOR XP X 30-901, companies benefit from a roadmap that helps them define objectives, measure and communicate their circularity performance.” 20220725 Bureau Veritas circular economy certification.pdf 11:10:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 25/07/2022 alle ore 11:10
Press releases
29/06/2022
M&A
Hera Spa

Marche Multiservizi acquires Macero Maceratese

2022-06-30 With the acquisition of 70% of this long-standing company based in the Marche region, the Hera Group subsidiary expects a 10% increase in turnover and a 5% rise in Ebitda, when in full force. With this additional transaction, which follows up on others carried out in previous years, the Hera Group has strengthened its national leadership in the waste management sector, regarding in particular industrial waste management and treatment. The Hera Group, acting through its subsidiary Marche Multiservizi, the leading operator in public utilities in the Marche region, has acquired from the Iesari family 70% of Macero Maceratese, a long-standing company in this area, operating since 1969 in the waste management sector, whose customers are mainly located in the province of Macerata and to a lesser degree in the remaining provinces of the Marche region, as well as in the neighbouring regions of Abruzzo and Umbria. With this additional transaction, the Hera Group has strengthened its national leadership in the waste management sector, thus making its state-of-the-art set of plants, as well as an all-round service for special waste, available to local companies who were previously customers of Macero Maceratese. By operating on the free market and creating significant synergies both with the other companies of the Hera Group active in waste treatment and with its own industrial poles already operating in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, Marche Multiservizi expects, when in full force, a 10% increase in turnover and a 5% increase in Ebitda, with an overall benefit for all stakeholders in the area served. This acquisition, which follows up on the transactions carried out in recent years by the Hera Group (including Waste Recycling, Teseco and Pistoia Ambiente in Tuscany, as well as Geo Nova and Aliplast in Treviso, Recycla in Friuli, the Vallortigara Group in Vicenza and a 31% stake in SEA in the Marche region), represents a new step along Hera’s path of continuous growth, which aims to provide companies with efficient, cutting-edge and competitive solutions in terms of costs and sustainability in the circular economy. History and activities of Macero Maceratese Widely recognised and consolidated in central Italy, for over 50 years Macero Maceratese has been dealing with services related to managing the waste produced by local industries, including SMEs and large-scale retail trade, and activities related to managing municipal waste, partially destined for energy recovery and landfills, and partially for treatment and recovery. With 30 employees working at three sites in Macerata, Piediripa di Macerata and Martinsicuro (Teramo province), in the last three years Macero Maceratese has handled an annual average of 58 thousand tonnes of waste. The main plant in Piediripa di Macerata is home of two large-capacity pressing plants, a shredding plant and a waste sorting plant, which boast ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 certification, modern equipment and qualified personnel. “With this acquisition, we are continuing our significant strategic growth in the industrial waste sector and further strengthening our leadership in the waste management sector. The entry of this Macerata-based company into our Group and the synergies between these new platforms and our current set of plants will increase the number of our close-at-hand solutions in the areas served, improving the efficiency and quality of services to local businesses with positive returns on the areas served and economic benefits for customers”, comments Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. “With the authorisations and facilities of this historic company based in Macerata, and above all thanks to its know-how and expertise, Marche Multiservizi will be able to provide local businesses in the provinces of Macerata, Ascoli, Fermo and Pesaro and Urbino with a complete service, in particular concerning collection, transport and disposal of hazardous and non-hazardous special waste, confirming the strong roots of our multi-utility in this area”, adds Mauro Tiviroli, CEO of Marche Multiservizi. 20220630 Marche Multiservizi acquisisce Macero Maceratese_eng.pdf 10:52:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 29/06/2022 alle ore 10:52
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15/06/2022
Hera Spa
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Hera Group once again ranks first in the 2022 Integrated Governance Index

2022-06-15 For the second year in a row, the Group leads the overall ranking in the index measuring the degree to which ESG factors are integrated within corporate governance. Hera is the foremost company in Italy for the importance of sustainability policies, fully and consciously incorporated within its business strategies. This is demonstrated, for the second consecutive year, by the Integrated Governance Index, the main quantitative index to measure the integration of ESG factors in corporate governance, managed by ETicaNews and presented today in Milan at the ESG Business Conference. “We are very pleased with this recognition”, remarks the Hera Group’s Executive Chairman, Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, “since it rewards the attention we have always paid to governance, which has been the key to face successfully the challenges in all these years. This has not only led us to increase by six times the Group’s capitalisation, but also to undergo processes of profound changes and transformation, always guaranteeing strategic consistency and ever-growing results to the benefit of all our stakeholders.” Sustainability at the heart of Hera’s strategies Ever since its foundation, sustainability has been at the core of Hera’s strategy. This award is therefore fully in line with the cultural transformation that began 20 years ago and has concerned all aspects of the Group. ESG factors are indeed fully integrated within the company’s activities and represent a strategic asset in all respects. The Group’s attention to sustainability is also proven by the recent transformation of subsidiary Hera Luce into a Benefit Corporation. This decision represents a further step towards sustainable development, following last year’s introduction of the concept of corporate purpose into the Group’s Articles of Association. The central role played by creating shared value also becomes clear in the Group’s 2021 Sustainability Report, which for the first time reports on activities consistent with the European Union taxonomy, ahead of the regulatory obligation that will only come into force in 2023. Lastly, as far as sustainable finance is concerned and in line with the growing interest shown by investors in ESG factors, Hera – the first company in Italy to issue a “green” bond in 2014 – recently successfully launched its third green bond, offering the market the possibility to invest in the Group’s activities that comply with the criteria in the European Taxonomy. The Group has also published a new Green Financing Framework (GFF), certified by an independent company and already aligned with the Taxonomy. 20220615 PR IGI 2022 HERA Group.pdf 14:12:00 Logo IGI 2022 - vert.jpg See the press release Logo IGI 2022 - vert.jpg
Online dal 15/06/2022 alle ore 14:12
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08/06/2022
Hera Spa
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Hera Luce becomes a benefit corporation

2022-06-08 The Hera Group subsidiary is among the first public lighting companies in Italy to include in its articles of association a commitment to produce benefits for its stakeholders, demonstrating Hera’s focus on sustainable development and creating value for the local areas and communities served At a time when the climate emergency and social demands are current issues, the Hera Group has further strengthened its twenty-year commitment to sustainable development and creating value for the local areas and communities it serves. It has done so by transforming Group subsidiary Hera Luce, one of the nation’s foremost operators in the public lighting sector and a leader in sustainable city lighting services with energy efficiency and circular economy solutions, into a Benefit Corporation. This is not, however, a true revolution for the Bologna-based company, but rather a further step along the path taken by the Hera Group last year, when it introduced the concept of “corporate purpose” into its Articles of Association. One of the first companies in Italy to do so, Hera thus made explicit the objectives it aims to achieve in carrying out its business activities and reaffirmed the focus on sustainability that has characterised it since its establishment. Hera Luce’s Shareholders Meeting approved the transformation of this company into a Benefit Corporation (pursuant to and in accordance with Law no. 208 of 28 December 2015) by amending article 3 of its Articles of Association, which now includes the aim of “operating responsibly, sustainably and transparently towards people, communities, local areas and the environment as well as cultural, social resources and activities, authorities, associations and other stakeholders”. Hera Luce made this choice on a voluntary basis, one of the first in Italy in the public lighting sector to take this initiative: thanks to this change in its articles of association, transparency and benefits for stakeholders have definitively become part of its corporate DNA. Three specific purposes are involved in the shared benefit that Hera Luce intends to pursue: contributing to the prosperity of the local communities in which the company operates, by designing and implementing sustainable, resilient and innovative models for urban development, to approach interventions on cities (Hera Luce for smart circular city/land); pursuing carbon neutrality, by acting through interventions aimed at energy efficiency and the energy transition towards renewable sources; leading the transition towards a circular economy model through means including measuring circularity from a lifecycle perspective. These are specific goals related to environmental issues, energy efficiency and transition as well as the circular economy. This Hera Group subsidiary aims to achieve them by ensuring the best working conditions for its own employees and those of its suppliers, and by promoting public-private collaboration in a multi-stakeholder approach. By becoming a Benefit Corporation, in compliance with current legislation, Hera Luce will be required to draw up an annual report on its pursuit of shared benefits, to be attached to the company’s financial statements, which will be published on Hera Luce’s website. “At Hera, we are aware that we have a great responsibility towards the local areas in which we operate”, states Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. “In our twenty years of activity, the Hera Group has placed the sustainable development of its businesses and the communities it serves at the centre of its strategy, always putting the generation of value at the heart of its relationship with all stakeholders served by the company, first and foremost its own employees, and extending it to institutions, local communities, shareholders, customers and suppliers. The transformation of our subsidiary Hera Luce into a Benefit Corporation reinforces our Group’s commitment to balanced and sustainable development through concrete and innovative projects for the energy transition, circular economy and technological evolution.” “This is a very important goal, that comes on top of the certification of the Material Circularity Report we obtained at the beginning of this year”, explains Alessandro Battistini, General Manager of Hera Luce. “Becoming a Benefit Corporation represents a commitment and a responsibility of which we are deeply aware. For Hera Luce, projects have always been characterised by their value in social and environmental terms, as well as their transparency. This choice represents a further step towards concretely achieving the model of corporate sustainability required by the market.” Legally introduced in Italy in 2016, Benefit Corporations represent an evolution of the concept of a company, with a view to sustainability and common benefit. They are, in fact, companies that decide to integrate within their corporate purpose, in addition to the objectives of profit and profit sharing, the aim of having a positive impact on society and the biosphere. 20220608_Hera Luce becomes benefit corporation FINAL.pdf 11:26:00 Economia circolare 2.jpg See the press release Economia circolare 2.jpg
Online dal 08/06/2022 alle ore 11:26
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06/06/2022
Hera Spa
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Documentation relating to the issue of a bond published

2022-06-06 Please note that the deed of execution dated 18 May 2022 relating to the issue by Hera S.p.A. of a 500 million euro Green Bond is available to the public at its registered office, on the website www.gruppohera.it, and on the authorised storage mechanism 1INFO (www.1Info.it). 20220606_comunicato_pubblicazione Green Bond Hera_ENG.pdf 10:42:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 06/06/2022 alle ore 10:42
18/05/2022
Price sensitive
Hera Spa

Hera: new 500 million euro green bond

2022-05-18 Strong interest shown by international investors for the third “green bond” which will finance the sustainability projects of the multiutility in the areas of integrated water cycle, circular economy and pollution prevention and control, and energy efficiency and energy infrastructure”. Subscriptions have reached 3.4 times the amount offered. Hera, first company in Italy to issue a "green" debt instrument in 2014, has successfully launched, in the context of its Euro Medium Term Note Programme (EMTN), its third “green bond” reconfirming itself as a reference player for sustainable finance, also at an international level. After the publication yesterday of its new Green Financing Framework (GFF), certified by an independent advisor and already in line with the EU Taxonomy, with this issue Hera gave to the market the chance to invest in the activities of the Group, in line with the EU Taxonomy. The characteristics of the new green bond and the projects financed The third green bond issued by the Hera Group (Moody’s rating Baa2 with stable Outlook and Standard & Poor’s rating BBB+ with stable Outlook), amounts to 500 million euro overall, repayable in 7 years with a 2.5% coupon and a 2.639% return. The issue date for the new green bond is expected to be May 25. The new green bond is represented by senior, non-convertible and unsecured/not guaranteed notes, reserved to qualified investors. It is also expected that the new green bond will be assigned a rating in line with Hera’s one. The strong demand, equal to 3.4 times the amount offered, and the quality of the orders received have allowed the price to be fixed at a very interesting level. The transaction has seen significant participation from international investors (in particular, Great Britain, France and Germany), most of whom investing in green and sustainable products. The bond is expected to be listed, since the issue date, on Euronext Dublin and, at the same date or thereafter, on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange's regulated markets and on Borsa Italiana's ExtraMOT PRO. The funds will be used to finance or refinance numerous projects, already implemented or included in the Business plan to 2025, selected on the basis of the provisions of the Green Financing Framework (GFF), that pursue one or more of the goals in the UN's 2030 Agenda or Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These projects have been subdivided into 3 areas: integrated water cycle (aligned with SDGs No. 6, 13 and 14): waste water management projects, sewerage and water infrastructures furthering resilience and adaptation to climate change; circular economy and pollution prevention and control (meeting SDGs No. 11, 12 and 13): innovative projects in plastics manufacturing, biogas and biofuel production for the use in transportation, the waste collection systems, anaerobic digestion and the compost of organic waste, and vehicle fleets for environmental services; energy efficiency and infrastructures (consistently with SDGs No. 7, 11 and 13): from energy production through photovoltaic systems and geothermic, to district heating networks, from installing devices and equipments for energy performance regulation and control, to renewable energy technologies, from hydrogen introduction networks to power transmission and distribution networks. In order to guarantee that the funds are correctly and transparently allocated, Hera has introduced a monitoring and reporting process. The amount actually dedicated to each intervention will be published in the Group's 2022 Sustainability Report, along with data concerning the environmental performances reached. Hera's partners in the transaction The Hera green bond issue was coordinated by BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole CIB, Mediobanca and UniCredit as Joint Bookrunners; BBVA, Intesa Sanpaolo and Banco Santander as Bookrunner. The law firm Legance provided Hera with assistance, while the law firm Linklaters assisted the Bookrunners. Sustainalytics, that examined Hera’s Green Financing Framework (GFF) and issued a “second party opinion”, is one of the world's leading rating firms in the field of responsible and ESG investments, it has branches in 17 Countries and over 500 international consultants. 20220518 New Green bond Hera final.pdf 17:47:00 See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 18/05/2022 alle ore 17:47
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17/05/2022
Hera Spa
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Hera Group: publication of the new Green Financing Framework

2022-05-17 The new Green Financing Framework of the Hera Group, together with the “second party opinion” released by Sustainalytics, sets out the guidelines for issuance of green bonds and for new green facility agreements. Hera is the first multiutility in Europe to publish a framework certified as being in line with the EU Taxonomy, as confirmation of the commitment of the company to “green” issues, also on the basis of the new challenging European standards The Hera Group – which pioneered sustainable finance since 2014 when it issued the first green bond in Italy – has published its new Green Financing Framework (GFF) that consolidates the transparency policy pursued by the multiutility towards the investors. Sustainability and ecological transition at the core of the new GFF The new GFF is a landmark for issuance of green bonds and for new green facility agreements related to the following areas: “Sustainable Water and Wastewater Management”, “Circular Economy and Pollution Prevention and Control” and “Energy Efficiency and Energy Infrastructure”, selected in compliance with the Green Bond Principles 2021 (GBP) published by the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) and the Green Loan Principles 2021 (GLP) published by the Loan Market Association (LMA). Furthermore, the GFF sets out the commitment shown by the Hera Group in the direction of the EU Taxonomy (Regulation 2020/852) and of the Climate Transition Finance Handbook. Consistently with the positioning characteristic of the Hera Group since its establishment and with the strategies outlined in the 2025 Business Plan, the new GFF intends to promote, also through the sustainable finance leverage, the achievement of the goals related to the ecological transition, to which the multiutility directs the development of its businesses. The “second party opinion” by Sustainalytics Sustainalytics, one of the leading independent agencies in research, sustainability analysis and ESG rating, has issued a “second party opinion” certifying the GFF consistency with the main international reference standards (the GBP of ICMA and the GLP of LMA), with the EU Taxonomy and with the Climate Transition Finance Handbook. The Hera Group is the first multiutility in Europe to publish a GFF in line with the EU Taxonomy and certified by an independent agency. 20220517 PR Green Financing Framework & SPO Hera Group.pdf 12:11:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 17/05/2022 alle ore 12:11
Press releases
12/05/2022
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa

Publication of documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting

2022-05-12 Kindly note that as of today the minutes of the Shareholders Meeting held on 28 April 2022, as well as the articles of association containing the amendments approved by the Shareholders' Meeting, are available at company headquarters, on the Hera Group’s website (https://eng.gruppohera.it/group/ ) in the section dedicated to Corporate Governance, and on the authorised storage website 1INFO. We also inform that the aforementioned minutes was registered with the Companies' Register of Bologna on 10 May 2022. Press releasae publication of documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting.pdf 14:37:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 12/05/2022 alle ore 14:37
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11/05/2022
Hera Spa
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Hera S.p.A. BoD appoints Orazio Iacono as CEO

2022-05-11 In today's meeting, the Board of Directors – following the resignation of CEO Stefano Venier, announced on 5 April and effective as of 26 April 2022 – appointed Orazio Iacono by co-optation as Hera S.p.A.’s new CEO, conferring on him all the related powers. Orazio Iacono, who was co-opted pursuant to Article 2386 of the Italian Civil Code and Article 17.10 of the Company’s Articles of Association, qualifies as a non-independent executive director following his appointment and, based on the information available Orazio Iacono was also appointed as a member of the Executive Committee. Mr. Iacono, 54 years old and an engineer, previously held positions with increasing responsibility in the Trenitalia Group, acting as CEO and General Manager in 2017-2020; subsequently, he worked as Senior Advisor in a leading international consulting firm and in 2021 he became Saipem’s Chief Operating Officer for Sustainable Infrastructures. His full curriculum vitae is available on the company’s website, at www.gruppohera.it (Governance/CdA section). 20220511_nomina AD.pdf 14:05:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 11/05/2022 alle ore 14:05
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11/05/2022
Financial Results
Hera Spa
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Hera Board of Directors approves Q1 2022 results

2022-05-11 The consolidated quarterly report at 31 March shows growth in revenues and Ebitda, proving the solidity and resilience of the Hera Group’s business model even in this difficult economic context. The Group confirms its commitment to sustainable development, with a strategic approach aimed at creating value for all stakeholders, starting from the local areas and communities it serves. Financial highlights Revenues at 5,312 million euro (+133.8%) Ebitda at 374.0 million euro (+3.3%) Net profits at 137.8 million euro (-1.8%) Net debt at 3,455.2 million euro, with net debt/Ebitda ratio at 2.8x Operating highlights Good contribution to growth comes from the main businesses, in particular the energy sectors and the waste management area Further development of initiatives for the ecological transition and the circular economy, thanks to state-of-the-art plants and increasingly green services Solid energy customer base, with approximately 3.5 million customers Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated results for the first quarter of 2022. Despite the fact that the results for the first quarter of 2022 were achieved against the backdrop of an extraordinarily difficult international scenario, marked by energy market volatility and geopolitical conflicts, Hera’s management policies – based on its solid and resilient business model – proved to be effective and enabled it to show further growth in results. Following up on the indications contained in the Business Plan to 2025, the Group thus continues to create value for stakeholders while ensuring, at the same time, quality and continuity in services. The results achieved are all the more remarkable considering that they fully offset the negative impact of Arera’s Resolution 614/2021 concerning a reduction in returns on capital invested in regulated activities (WACC). As regards changes in the scope of operations, compared to March 2021 two companies were integrated in the waste management area, which contribute to increasing the commercial presence in central-northern Italy: Recycla, a 70% owned company from Friuli that manages three platforms for industrial waste, and the Vallortigara Group, 80% owned, which provides services to industries, public administrations and citizens and manages a multifunctional platform for special waste treatment. The energy areas now benefit from 100% ownership of Atlas Utilities, through its Bulgarian subsidiary Ares Gas, and of the Abruzzo-based company Eco Gas, 90% owned by Hera Comm. Also note that Hera Comm was awarded the graduated protection service for electricity supply to SMEs in 9 regions of Italy. As regards regulated services, in November 2021 Atersir definitively awarded the Hera Group the tender for the concession of the integrated water service for 24 municipalities in the province of Rimini, including the capital, with a contract worth approximately 1.7 billion euro. The Hera Group, which was also the outgoing manager, will therefore be responsible for this service from 2022 to 2039. A few weeks later, lastly, Atersir definitively awarded the Hera Group, for a period of time covering 15 years, the tenders for the municipal waste collection services in the Modena and Bologna areas, with a total scope of 1.5 million inhabitants and a value coming to over 2.5 billion. Revenues at roughly 5.3 billion euro (+133.8%) In the first quarter of 2022, revenues amounted to 5,312.0 million euro, up sharply from 2,271.8 million euro seen in the same period one year earlier. The energy sectors in particular contributed to this result, showing significant growth due to increased trading and the rise in commodity prices, as well as higher volumes of gas sold as a result of new lots won in tenders and lower winter temperatures. In addition, growth in energy services was related to energy efficiency in residential buildings (insulation bonus and 110% tax super-bonus) and increased activities for value-added services for customers. Revenues from the waste management sector were also up, mainly due to energy production, higher prices in the recovery market and new acquisitions in the industrial market. Lastly, revenues from network services increased, both regulated and for third parties, as did revenues from the public lighting service. Ebitda rises to 374.0 million euro (+3.3%) Ebitda went from 362.0 million euro in the first three months of 2021 to 374.0 million euro at 31 March 2022, up 12.0 million euro (+3.3%). The main contributions to this result came from the energy area, up by a total of 6.1 million euro, and the waste management area, up 8.1 million euro, offsetting the slight drop in the other services area. In particular, the activities managed concerning the ecological transition and circular economy were decisive, including energy efficiency services developed for condominiums, a reinforcement of value-added services in the energy sector (from “green” supply to sales and installation of LED devices, smart boilers and thermostats, and energy diagnostics) and the regeneration of resources, through Group subsidiary Aliplast. Operating result and pre-tax profit down slightly Operating results amounted to 220.1 million euro at 31 March 2022, down 1.3% from the 223.1 million euro seen in the first quarter of 2021, mainly due to higher amortisation and depreciation due to changes in the scope of consolidation and higher provisions for bad debts mainly attributable to both last resort and traditional markets as well as the graduated protection service. Financial operations at 31 March 2022 were mainly unchanged, at 29.5 million, compared to 28.8 million euro seen in the first quarter of 2021. This change was caused by lower income from late payment indemnities, partially offset by lower financial charges on long-term debt resulting from debt optimisations. Pre-tax profit amounted to 190.6 million euro, slightly down from 194.3 million euro at 31 March 2021 (-1.9%). Net profit at 137.8 million euro Thanks to a tax rate coming to 27.7%, quite similar to the 27.8% rate of the previous year, net profit stood at 137.8 million euro, as against 140.3 million euro in the first quarter of 2021. Profit pertaining to the Group’s shareholders amounted to 126.5 million euro, down from 132.2 million euro at 31 March 2021, due to an increase in the portion attributable to minority shareholders. Strong growth in operating investments and Group solidity reinforced The Group’s operating investments, including capital grants, amounted to 129.2 million euro, up 11.1% compared to the previous year, and mainly involved work on plants, networks and infrastructures. In addition, regulatory upgrading was carried out, mainly in the gas distribution sector with a large-scale meter replacement, and in the purification and sewerage sector. Net financial debt went from 3,261.3 million euro at 31 December 2021 to 3,455.2 million euro at 31 March 2022, mainly due to a change in net working capital, which increased as a result of the energy scenario and the impact of interventions on “rising bills” also in terms of payment by instalments. The net debt/Ebitda ratio remained substantially stable, at 2.8x, confirming the company’s financial solidity. Gas As regards the gas area – which includes distribution and sales of natural gas, district heating and energy services – Ebitda rose to 201.4 million, showing an increase of 22.9 million, or 12.9%, compared to 31 March 2021. This was mainly due to the increased sales and incentivised energy efficiency activities and district heating. The first quarter of 2022 therefore showed significant growth compared to the same period of 2021, both in terms of margins and volumes sold, thanks to the results achieved in energy efficiency incentives and the 17 lots awarded nationwide to Hera Comm through tenders, including: 6 lots of the last resort gas service in 12 regions of Italy, 9 lots of the default gas distribution service in 19 regions and 2 lots of the Consip GAS14 tender for the supply of natural gas to Public Administrations in Lombardy region. The number of gas customers came to almost 2.1 million, up 1.7% compared to the previous year. The gas area accounted for 53.9% of Group Ebitda. Electricity Ebitda for the electricity area – which includes electricity generation, distribution and sales services – amounted to 30.4 million euro, down compared to the same period of 2021 owing to the different conditions of energy markets in relation to procurement (higher raw material prices) and a lower contribution from generation (less use of the market by dispatching services as a result of normalised conditions in the areas served by the generation plants). At Group level, margins from sales and trading did not witness significant changes overall traceable to the extraordinary situation of energy commodity prices, thanks to the effectiveness of hedging policies and the management of these risks. Also note the positive result coming from commercial growth in free market customers, supported by innovative offers, value-added services and improved customer experience. In addition, Hera Comm Spa was awarded through a tender, for the period from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024, the graduated protection service for the supply of electricity to SMEs in nine Italian regions, corresponding to three allocation lots in the national tender called by the Single Buyer. The customer base also continued to grow in the electricity area, reaching almost 1.4 million (+5.3%). This growth occurred on the free market, both as a result of the reinforced commercial actions implemented, accounting for roughly 30 thousand customers, and the graduated protection service awarded, with approximately 37.3 thousand customers. The safeguarded market was also up compared to the same period of the previous year. Alongside the above-mentioned trend, an increase was seen in the number of customers subscribing to value-added services, with approximately 22.5 thousand customers, up 46% compared to the previous year, demonstrating the growing loyalty of the Group’s customer base. The electricity area accounted for 8.1% of Group Ebitda. Water cycle In the first quarter of 2022, the integrated water cycle area – which includes aqueduct, purification and sewerage services – rose from 55 million euro in the first quarter of 2021 to 55.5 million euro in the first quarter of 2022 (+0.8%), thanks in particular to the contribution coming from higher revenues for new connections. In the first quarter of 2022, investments made in the water cycle area, including capital grants, rose to over 43 million euro (28.3 million euro in the aqueduct, 8.5 million euro in sewerage and 6.6 million euro in purification), mainly involving extensions, reclamation and upgrades on networks and plants, as well as regulatory compliance, especially in the purification and sewerage sectors. The integrated water cycle area accounted for 14.8% of Group Ebitda. Waste management Ebitda for the waste management area – which includes waste collection, treatment and recovery services – increased by 8.1 million euro compared to the same period in 2021, rising to 78.9 million euro at 31 March 2022 (+11.4%), as against 70.8 million euro in the first quarter of 2021. Thanks to its set of plants, which continues to be a distinctive strategic asset on the market, the Group was able to seize opportunities for growth, confirming its ability to react with great resilience to the current market context. In particular, waste treatment contributed to this growth, reaching Ebitda coming to 61 million euro, up 20.8% compared to the 50.5 million euro seen one year earlier. In Italy, the progressive increase in the cost of energy and the difficulties in finding raw materials that began in late 2021 led to a slowdown in production in many manufacturing sectors during the early months of 2022, with repercussions in waste production. Nevertheless, the Group was able to expand its market share in industrial waste treatment, also benefiting from the larger scope of operations ensuing from the M&A transactions mentioned above. Aliplast’s commercial growth in the recovery market continued, due to price increases in all sectors resulting from the high value of virgin polymer and strong market demand, and its consolidated leadership in other markets in which the Group is active. The Hera Group operates in the complete waste cycle, with over 90 plants for municipal and special waste treatment and plastic materials regeneration. The main plants include: 9 waste-to-energy plants, 12 composting/digestion plants and 15 sorting plants. The close attention paid to plants has always been a distinctive element of the Group’s propensity for excellence: indeed, operations are ongoing to provide plants with the best available technologies and to complete the revamping of two waste-to-energy plants, one in Trieste and one in Ravenna. Thanks to the in-depth operational skills possessed by the Group and the other companies in the tender-winning RTIs, the areas served will be equipped with collection models having innovative services and equipment, with a strong focus on sustainability, waste reduction and an increase in recycled materials. The waste management area accounted for 21.1% of Group Ebitda Profit & Loss (mln €) 31/03/2022 Inc.% 31/03/2021 Inc.% Ch. Ch.% Sales 5,312.0 2,271.8 +3,040.2 +133.8% Other operating revenues 100.7 1.9% 100.7 4.4% +0.0 +0.0% Raw material (4,307.8) (81.1%) (1,209.7) (53.2%) +3,098.1 +256.1% Services costs (573.3) (10.8%) (646.9) (28.5%) (73.6) (11.4%) Other operating expenses (17.2) (0.3%) (17.1) (0.8%) +0.1 +0.6% Personnel costs (154.5) (2.9%) (150.1) (6.6%) +4.4 +2.9% Capitalisations 14.1 0.3% 13.3 0.6% +0.8 +6.0% Ebitda 374.0 7.0% 362.0 15.9% +12.0 +3.3% Depreciation and provisions (153.9) (2.9%) (138.9) (6.1%) +15.0 +10.8% Ebit 220.1 4.1% 223.1 9.8% (3.0) (1.3%) Financial inc./(exp.) (29.5) (0.6%) (28.8) (1.3%) +0.7 +2.4% Pre tax profit 190.6 3.6% 194.3 8.6% (3.7) (1.9%) Taxes (52.8) (1.0%) (54.0) (2.4%) (1.2) (2.2%) Net profit 137.8 2.6% 140.3 6.2% (2.5) (1.8%) Attributable to: Shareholders of the Parent Company 126.5 2.4% 132.2 5.8% (5.7) (4.3%) Minority shareholders 11.3 0.2% 8.1 0.4% +3.2 +39.3% Balance Sheet (mln €) 31/03/2022 Inc.% 31/12/2021 Inc.% Ch. Ch.% Net fixed assets 7,294.8 103.4% 7,308.0 109.4% (13.2) (0.2%) Working capital 398.9 5.6% 3.5 0.1% +395.4 +11,297.1% (Provisions) (637.2) (9.0%) (633.4) (9.5%) (3.8) +0.6% Net invested capital 7,056.5 100.0% 6,678.1 100.0% +378.4 +5.7% Net equity 3,601.3 51.0% 3,416.8 51.2% +184.5 +5.4% Long term net financial debt 3,644.6 51.7% 3,633.1 54.4% +11.5 +0.3% Short term net financial debt (189.4) (2.7%) (371.8) (5.6%) +182.4 (49.1%) Net financial debts 3,455.2 49.0% 3,261.3 48.8% +193.9 +5.9% Net invested capital 7,056.5 100.0% 6,678.1 100.0% +378.4 +5.7% Press release Q1 2022.pdf 14:02:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 11/05/2022 alle ore 14:02
05/05/2022
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Hera Group: over 2.2 billion euro distributed to local areas in 2021

2022-05-05 Hera continues to create shared value by focusing on the principles underlying a “fair transition” and is able to support the communities it serves in achieving sustainable development. For the first time, the Sustainability Report also provides information on activities consistent with the EU taxonomy Setting challenging goals, growing and innovating by creating value for stakeholders and reporting the results achieved in a clear and transparent way: all of this has always guided Hera’s actions. It also includes protecting the environment and promoting sustainable development, and the Group has summarised it in its 2021 Sustainability Report, now available online (http://bs.gruppohera.it). Industrial growth and sustainable development, therefore, go hand in hand, nourishing one another. In full harmony with Brussels and the main international policies, Hera continues to take determined steps towards bringing about a “fair transition”. This model puts people at its centre and translates into a gradual process, planned so as not to leave anyone behind. On the contrary, it is designed to accompany the local areas served towards a more environmentally sustainable future, and also one that can concretely be achieved from an economic and social point of view. One of the most important new features of the 2021 Sustainability Report is the information provided for the first time concerning activities consistent with the European Union’s taxonomy, with particular reference to the objectives of mitigating and adapting to climate change, thus anticipating regulatory obligations that will only come into force in 2023. Creating value together with the communities served: more than 2.2 billion euro distributed to local areas The Group’s sustainable growth also involves the surrounding economic and social fabric, as is proven by the over 2.2 billion euro distributed in 2021 to the areas served. Hera guarantees them continuity and efficiency in its services, with significant investments made in innovating the infrastructure assets that will be decisive in facing the climate-related challenges of the coming years. Moreover, the total economic value for stakeholders rose to over 2.9 billion euro, including workers (592.8 million), shareholders (217.9 million), public administrations (115.1 million), and approximately 1.2 billion relating to suppliers. Shared value Ebitda rises to 570.6 million One of the most important results reported is shared value Ebitda, referring to business activities that also respond to the drivers of sustainable growth. This figure rose to 570.6 million, a significant increase over 2020 (+25.4%), corresponding to 46.6% of total Ebitda. This is a sign that the positive economic results achieved are accompanied by Hera’s increasing focus on sustainability, a result in line with the trajectory marked out by the Business Plan, which projects this value at 55.6% of total Ebitda by 2025, rising to 70% in 2030. Three main drivers guide this commitment: pursuing carbon neutrality, regenerating resources and closing the loop, and enabling resilience and innovation. Pursuing carbon neutrality For Hera, working on energy means first and foremost pursuing carbon neutrality. Overall, the actions taken by the Group move towards the energy transition and promote energy efficiency. Given that the concentration of greenhouse gases, largely caused by fossil fuels, continues to have a negative impact on the increase in the planet’s temperature, in the field of energy transition and renewable energy the Hera Group continues its commitment to producing increasingly sustainable energy sources. One particularly successful initiative is the S. Agata Bolognese plant, which in 2021 produced 8 million cubic metres of biomethane by transforming the organic waste derived from sorted waste collection coming from citizens, 22% more than in 2019. The goal, to be reached by developing new projects including one in the Modena area thanks to a partnership with the Cremonini Group, is to double the production of biomethane, reaching 16.8 million cubic metres per year in 2025. The relevance of the second area, energy efficiency, must also be considered in relation to the complex international scenarios for the supply and cost of energy, and the role that renewables will play in the sustainable future. The policy to increase the energy efficiency of Hera’s activities will continue, as is borne out by the ISO 50001 certification on energy management obtained for 11 Group companies, where 96% of the entire company’s energy consumption takes place. The Hera Group also supplies renewable electricity to all residential customers on the free market, and when considering all types of customers (residential and non-residential) the total renewable electricity sold on the free market rises from 33% to 40%. Finally, the Group is committed to improving the energy efficiency of condominiums, companies and public administrations, reaching important results, with savings of up to 20-40% of consumption. Regenerating resources and closing the loop No less challenging is the issue of the environment, a front on which Hera is working to regenerate natural resources and closing the loop to promote a more effective use of them. In concrete terms, this means going beyond a linear model to achieve the circular economy. This is the case with municipal waste management: in the areas served by the Group, the EU objective of a 55% waste recycling rate by 2025 has already been achieved, as has the 73% recycling rate for packaging (higher than the EU objective for 2030). This result is due to another important fact: the average sorted waste collection rate comes to 65.3%, higher than the national average for the sector. Moreover, among the 10 most virtuous Italian cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, as regards sorted waste collection per capita, 4 are managed by Hera, with Ferrara leading the national ranking in terms of percentage of sorted waste collection. And waste is not the only factor involved. Closing the loop is a rationale that is applied across the board, such as in the sustainable management of water resources. Here, we’re talking about 414 million cubic metres supplied down to the last cubic metre, of the highest quality. To make this possible, one must have an excellent set of plants. One example is the Val di Setta drinking water plant, in Bologna area, which has obtained AWS (Alliance for Water Stewardship) certification, an acknowledgement received by Hera as the world’s leading multi-utility. But attention and protection occur first and foremost from within the Group, which in 2021, for example, achieved a reduction of approximately 17% in its internal water consumption, compared to 2017. Enabling resilience and innovation Hera operates locally to enable resilience and innovate, following a rationale of adaptation aimed at guaranteeing, among other things, continuity in services and the availability of resources, by extending infrastructures in the areas served through smart plants and networks. In this context, in line with international policies, digitisation and innovation in activities plays a key role, supported by an investment of 82 million euros in 2021 alone, with projects that involve not only the Group but also the local communities, helping them move towards the digital transition. Making communities more resilient also means working to promote social inclusion. For this reason, in 2021, almost 200,000 bills were paid in instalments, for a total value of 126.8 million euro. In February 2022, in order to consider the situation ensuing from the increase in commodity prices, Hera signed an agreement with consumer associations, in addition to national regulations, to go even further in helping customers in difficulty. 20220505_PR Sustainability report 2021.pdf 11:07:00 See the press release
Online dal 05/05/2022 alle ore 11:07
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28/04/2022
Shareholders’ meeting
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Hera Shareholders Meeting: 2021 financial statements and dividend rising to 12 cents approved

2022-04-28 On the twentieth anniversary of its foundation, the Group continues along the path of growth that has distinguished it since its establishment, confirming its commitment to sustainable development by creating value for the areas served and all stakeholders The ordinary and extraordinary Shareholders Meeting of Hera met this morning in Bologna to approve the 2021 financial statements and the payment of a dividend increasing to 12 cents per share (+9% compared to the last dividend paid), as further confirmation of the value created for stakeholders and local areas. Among the various resolutions passed, the Shareholders Meeting also approved an amendment to the Articles of Association, in compliance with the content of the new Corporate Governance Code. At the Shareholders Meeting, the 2021 Sustainability Report (a consolidated non-financial statement prepared pursuant to Legislative Decree 254/2016) was also presented. Financial statements for 2021 approved, with growth in results In the ordinary session, the Shareholders Meeting approved the 2021 financial statements, which showed growth in all main operating and financial indicators. Among the main results: Ebitda rose to 1,223.9 million euro (+9%) and net profit attributable to shareholders reached 333.5 million euro (+10.2%). Operating investments, including capital grants, amounted to 588.7 million euro (+16.3%), while net financial debt stood at 3,261.3 million euro, in line with the 3,227.0 million euro seen at 31 December 2020. The net debt/Ebitda ratio improved to 2.66x, confirming the Group’s financial solidity. These figures testify, once again, to the validity of the multi-business strategy adopted by the Group: a balanced mix of internal and external growth, with significant economies of scale and the extraction of higher synergies than expected, to the benefit of the local areas in which Hera operates. Despite the complex scenario, due to the ongoing Coronavirus emergency, in addition to the volatility of the energy market during the second half of the year, further progress occurred along the path of uninterrupted growth achieved by the Group, led since its creation in 2002 by Executive Chairman Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano. In twenty years, in fact, Ebitda has increased more than sixfold and net profit has grown more than tenfold. In addition to achieving positive results, Hera has also constantly pursued sustainable development, supporting its stakeholders, first and foremost its customers, with concrete actions such as instalment plans for bills to enable them to meet their payments. Payment of a 12 cent/share dividend introduced The Shareholders Meeting also approved the Board of Directors’ proposal to pay a dividend coming to 12 cents per share, up 9% compared to the last dividend paid. The ex-dividend date was set at 20 June 2022, with payment as of 22 June 2022. The dividend will be paid to shares recorded on 21 June 2022. The dividend paid, based on the Hera share price at 31/12/2021, corresponds to a 3.3% annual return. A strong focus on creating value for shareholders was therefore confirmed. This increase is consistent with the dividend policy set out in the Business Plan, which foresees a steady increase in dividends, reaching 14.5 cents per share by 2025. The Sustainability Report: Shared value Ebitda rises to 570.6 million During the Shareholders Meeting, the 2021 Sustainability Report was also presented, showing how improvement in operating and financial indicators goes hand in hand with creating shared value. More specifically, in 2021, shared value Ebitda, referring to business activities that also meet the drivers for sustainable growth, rose to 570.6 million euro, a significant increase compared to 2020 (+25.4%), corresponding to 46.6% of total Ebitda. This result reflects the direction set out in the Business Plan, which projects this figure at 55% of total Ebitda by 2025, rising to 70% in 2030, along a linear path that generates concrete benefits for the local areas and communities served, alongside the company’s own development. Articles of Association adapted to the new Borsa Italiana Corporate Governance Code The extraordinary agenda items approved by the Shareholders Meeting include an amendment of Article 17 of Hera’s Articles of Association, in compliance with the content of the new Corporate Governance Code, following a close analysis of international developments in corporate governance. In particular, the recommendation that administrative bodies should include a number of independent directors coming to at least half of the members of the Board of Directors was implemented. Therefore, with the reformulation of paragraph 17.3 of the Articles of Association, it is clearly stated that, within each list presented, at least half of the candidates must meet independence requirements. Other resolutions approved The Shareholders Meeting also approved a renewed authorisation for the Board of Directors to purchase treasury shares (and the procedures for their treatment), for a total value of up to 240 million euro for 18 months, at the same time revoking last year’s resolution for the non-executed part. The renewal of authorisation to use treasury shares was requested in order to pursue the purposes permitted by law and accepted market practices, in order to increase value creation in transactions carried out by Group companies as well, for whom investment opportunities arise, and for transactions involving the issue of financial instruments. Lastly, the Shareholders Meeting approved the Report on remuneration policy and compensation paid, in line with international best practices, and the Corporate governance report was also presented. “Over the Group’s twenty-year history, we have pursued a path marked by constant growth, leveraging our operating-financial solidity, with positive repercussions for all stakeholders, first and foremost our shareholders”, states Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. “We will continue to guarantee the highest quality and efficiency in our services, despite the complexities of the external scenario, as done for twenty years working concretely and coherently with the values that have always distinguished us. We are therefore carrying on with our commitment to further developing a highly innovative and original business model, capable of acting as a real driver of change for the local areas and communities we serve, with a strategic approach aimed at creating shared value.” 20220428_PR_HERA Shareholders meeting.pdf 11:48:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 28/04/2022 alle ore 11:48
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26/04/2022
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Appointment of the CEO of Hera S.p.A.

2022-04-26 As regards the appointment, by the Mayor of Bologna, of Mr. Orazio Iacono as member of the Board of Directors of Hera S.p.A., indicating him for the position of CEO, the company declares that it has begun the internal procedures necessary to convene the Board of Directors meeting for his co-optation. The appointment of the new CEO will therefore occur in accordance with the provisions of the Shareholders Agreement to which the public shareholders adhere. The Executive Chairman of the Hera Group, Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, congratulates Mr. Orazio Iacono on his appointment and wishes him every success in his future professional role. 20220426 CEO Appointment.pdf 19:37:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 26/04/2022 alle ore 19:37
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22/04/2022
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Aeroporti di Roma increasingly “circular” with the Hera Group

2022-04-22 A protocol has been signed to implement environmental sustainability and circular economy initiatives, reducing waste, recovering resources and optimising the water cycle to reduce sludge and losses Bologna, Fiumicino, 22 April 2022 - A protocol to jointly assess joint initiatives in favour of sustainability and a circular approach to the management of Fiumicino and Ciampino airports: this is the focus of the protocol signed by Aeroporti di Roma - the company that runs both of the capital’s hubs - and the Hera Group, one of the main multi-utility companies in Italy. The areas of intervention of the agreement, valid for two years, concern the management of waste, the treatment of waste water in the airport purification plant and the optimisation of water network management. Actions to make the first airport hub in Italy, the seventh in Europe, increasingly sustainable. The hub’s commitment has already been recognised by ACI Europe, which awarded Fiumicino excellence as the best airport in Europe for three consecutive years from 2018 to 2020. In terms of circular economy, “Leonardo da Vinci” airport boasts a separate waste collection that has amounted to 99% and, in the last 10 years, the consumption of drinking water for each passenger assisted has been reduced by approximately 30%, thanks to a dual distribution network system that ensures the reuse of “recycled” water for all uses for which drinking water is not necessary: irrigation, fire prevention, etc. The Hera Group will make its experience and commitment available in terms of the circular economy and the recovery of resources that have distinguished it since its inception. Concrete projects to reduce waste, the production of waste and increase its recovery As regards waste, the main objective is to define guidelines to improve the recovery and reuse of waste produced at the airport, identifying the best solutions to manage the main types of waste, minimising environmental impacts and optimising economic management. This will be achieved by studying any new operational and management processes to further develop separate collection, also involving staff, suppliers and passengers, recover the waste produced (especially used oils, plastic and organic products), reduce the production of waste that cannot be recovered, adopt systems for the recovery of food surpluses produced by airport catering, thus reducing waste and giving new value to uneaten food. Reduction of sludge produced in the purification process and water losses The water system of the airports is also the subject of the agreement, in order to assess the possible optimisations to be made to the purifier in a circular economy perspective, facilitating processes that enable the reduction of sludge produced by the waste water purification process (such as, for example, through the installation of dryers to reduce weight and volume) and assessing the possibility of recovering material. Systems are also being studied to optimise the management of water networks, to prevent and limit losses with a view to increasingly virtuous water management, including with the use of advanced sensors and artificial intelligence systems. “We continue along the path of environmental transition by co-opting the best national excellence” said Marco Troncone, CEO of ADR “by launching, today, a partnership with the Hera Group, a key player, amongst other things, in the circular economy. The scope of action will be concrete and focused on areas in which ADR already performs high, such as waste management and the water cycle, but on which we intend to reach levels of excellence with the support of a recognised specialist leader.” “This agreement with Aeroporti di Roma is a virtuous example of how a partnership between companies can be a driver of sustainability with positive effects for the environment. Sustainability accompanies and permeates all of our activities and we want to share our experience in this area with the people who operate in the communities, further strengthening our commitment to the circular economy and the regeneration of resources” commented Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group. 20220422 PR Roma Airports and Hera Group.pdf 11:02:00 immagine.jpg See the press release immagine.jpg
Online dal 22/04/2022 alle ore 11:02
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21/04/2022
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Elior and the Hera Group sign a pact for sustainability

2022-04-21 The country’s leading catering company and the Emilia-Romagna based multi-utility have forged a circular economy partnership Elior, Italy’s foremost catering company, and the Hera Group, one of the nation’s main multi-utilities, have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on projects geared towards the circular economy, environmental sustainability and sustainable mobility. The agreement, presented on Earth Day, 22 April, will be valid for two years and will unfold by gradually implementing a series of environmental actions and initiatives, starting with catering outlets located mainly in the areas served by Hera, and later gradually extending the scope of action to other regions. Sustainable mobility, circular economy and environmental sustainability pilot projects launche Faced with the economic, environmental and social changes currently underway, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to join forces and work on common objectives. The circular economy is a key element for both companies, who have set themselves the goal of working together to ensure maximum value for resources, with a sustainable approach integrated into their business strategies. With this agreement, Elior and Hera are thus launching a collaboration that will start with specific pilot projects, particularly in the field of sustainable mobility, the circular economy and environmental sustainability. The organic waste produced in catering outlets can be used to produce biomethane and compost in the Hera Group’s S. Agata Bolognese (BO) plant, while separately collected exhausted vegetable oils (those that remain at the end of food preparation, for frying or to preserve food) can be used to produce biodiesel, thanks to the partnership signed by Hera with Eni. Furthermore, electric vehicle recharging points may be built. The two companies will evaluate collaborations involving projects for recycling and reusing the plastic used in catering outlets and for preventing waste production, making the most of any waste. Hera will also be able to provide support on how to sort and treat the waste produced. Lastly, extensive environmental communication campaigns will be developed jointly, dedicated for both employees and customers. The figures in question are significant: in Italy, over 95 million meals are prepared every year by Elior, with 10 thousand people working in more than 2 thousand restaurants and sales points. Constant attention to sustainability Elior dedicates constant attention to sustainability, as certified, for example, by its membership in the Global Compact, the United Nations programme fostering corporate social responsibility, to create a virtuous circle in the area of catering by working in synergy with suppliers, customers, end users and employees. As regards the Hera Group, it has always been committed to sustainably developing the areas it serves, thanks to active communication with local communities and cooperation with stakeholders. Hera will bring all its experience in the field of waste management to this partnership: it is the leading national operator in terms of the amount of waste treated, and in 2021 it reached over 65% in sorted waste collection (with a recovery rate of over 90%), serving more than 180 municipalities and 3.2 million citizens, meeting years in advance the targets set by the European Union for the general and specific recycling rates for packaging and the use of landfills. Moreover, Hera was the first utility, and the second company in Italy, to join the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which brings together the companies most active globally in the transition to the circular economy. “The transition towards a circular economy is a challenge made up of many actions implemented on an ongoing basis, and this agreement with Elior is one further example”, comments Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group. “Another step towards achieving concrete results, it allows us to share our experience in the field of sustainability and further strengthen a commitment that accompanies all our work.” “A commitment to making our daily activities more sustainable is a priority in our business strategy. This is why we aim to involve all our stakeholders in activating virtuous processes capable of reducing waste of all kinds, thanks to circular economy mechanisms”, adds Rosario Ambrosino, CEO of Elior. “The collaboration with Hera that we are presenting today is an excellent example of this approach, and we are confident that the pilot projects we are launching together can lead to significant results which benefit the community.” 20220421 PR Elior and Hera Group partnership.pdf 11:31:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 21/04/2022 alle ore 11:31
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21/04/2022
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Gridspertise and the Hera Group launch collaboration for the smart grid of the future

2022-04-21 The agreement aims to synergize the data collected by the networks in the gas-electricity multiservice area The results of this collaboration could be of interest to multi-utility companies also at an international level Bologna/Rome, April 21st, 2022 - Gridspertise, the Enel Group’s subsidiary dedicated to the digital transformation of electricity grids, and the Hera Group, one of Italy’s largest multi-utilities, have signed a collaboration agreement aimed at developing the smart grids of the future through a state-of-the-art integrated system for the collection and measurement of data collected from the electricity and gas distribution networks in a multi-utility environment. The two companies are therefore combining the know-how they have developed in their various areas of expertise to achieve technical synergies in the field of network digitalization. The results of this collaboration may be of interest to multi-utility companies also abroad, thus projecting the technological excellence conceived and developed in our country on international markets. In particular, the agreement provides for the testing of an integrated data collection system used by the Hera Group’s gas devices and Gridspertise’s smart meters for electric networks. The integration tests in the gas-electricity multiservice area will be carried out in Italy on the network managed by Inrete Distribuzione Energia, the natural gas and electricity distribution company of the Hera Group. The Hera Group will be able to rely, in particular, on its experience in the field of smart gas meters, which has led it to patent the NexMeter advanced meter, the best of its kind at international level for its cutting-edge technology and safety functions, also in terms of reducing gas dispersion into the atmosphere. Gridspertise will put its most innovative solutions for integrated measurement data management at the service of the development of new smart and sustainable grids to accelerate the digital transformation of electricity infrastructure elements. In particular, in recent months the company has concluded agreements with the Hera Group for the supply of 435,000 smart meters and concentrators, as well as an innovative remote management system that will be used in the experimentation. The result is a package of network management solutions using the facilitation of the energy transition as a key element. Based on the results of the trial, the two companies will consider joint participation in future tenders, also including those held outside the national territory, in which the sale of hardware and software solutions for gas and electricity metering will be envisaged. At a later stage, this collaboration may also extend to solutions concerning the integrated water cycle, both in terms of measurement and smart water grids. 20220421 CS Gridspertise_Hera.pdf 12:19:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 21/04/2022 alle ore 12:19
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13/04/2022
Hera Spa
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Clarification regarding the resignation of the CEO of Hera S.p.A.

2022-04-13 In addition to the information provided on 5 April 2022, Hera S.p.A., as requested by Consob, states the following: CEO Stefano Venier has resigned from his office, effective as of 26 April 2022, following the acceptance of his candidacy as a director having the specific professional skills for the office of CEO in another listed company; no severance pay has been established in his favour, except for what is provided for by current regulations regarding the termination of employment; on 5 April 2022, all powers pertaining to the CEO were temporarily assigned by the Board of Directors of Hera S.p.A. to the Executive Chairman, effective as of 26 April 2022; the appointment of the new CEO, an expression of the majority list submitted by the public shareholders of Hera S.p.A., will take place on the basis of the provisions of the Shareholders Agreement to which they adhere. 20220413 Clarification regarding the resignation of the CEO.pdf 16:39:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 13/04/2022 alle ore 16:39
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07/04/2022
Shareholders’ meeting
Hera Spa

Communication of the overall amount of voting rights

2022-04-07 Bologna, 7 April 2022 – The following table contains the data concerning the shares outstanding and the number of voting rights representing the share capital as at 31 March 2022. Updated situation Previous situation Number of shares constituting the Share capital Number of voting rights Number of shares constituting the Share capital Number of voting rights Total, of which: 1,489,538,745 2,229,351,858 1,489,538,745 2,229,451,858 Ordinary shares (regular dividend rights: 01.01.2021) – cod. ISIN IT0001250932 Current coupon: n. 20 749,725,632 749,725,632 749,625,632 749,625,632 Ordinary shares with increased voting rights (regular dividend rights: 01.01.2021) – cod. ISIN IT0005159972 Current coupon: n. 20 739,813,113 1,479,626,226 739,913,113 1,479,826,226 04_2022 Communication-overall-amount-of-voting-rights-art-85-bis.pdf 10:49:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 07/04/2022 alle ore 10:49
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06/04/2022
Shareholders’ meeting
Financial Results
Hera Spa
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Publication of the draft Separate and consolidated financial statements as at 31/12/2021, the Sustainability report – consolidated non-financial statement and Shareholders meeting documentation

2022-04-06 Kindly note that the following documents, approved by the Hera S.p.A. Board of Directors, have been made available to the public at company headquarters, on the website https://eng.gruppohera.it/ and on the authorised storage platform 1INFO (www.1Info.it): folder containing the draft Separate and consolidated financial statements at 31.12.2021 Sustainability report – consolidated non-financial statement drafted pursuant to L. Decree 254/2016. In the same way, the reports of the Board of Directors on the issues at items 3 and 4 on the AGM’s agenda as well as the Group’s Report on the remuneration policy and fees paid and the 2021 Corporate Governance Report are also available. 06042022 Press release Financial Statements-DNF FY21.pdf 15:56:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 06/04/2022 alle ore 15:56
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05/04/2022
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Hera Spa

Resignation of the CEO of Hera S.p.A.

2022-04-05 The Board of Directors of Hera S.p.A., after meeting today, acknowledged the resignation of Stefano Venier as Chief Executive Officer of the Company, formally presented on 4 April 2022. His resignation will become effective on 26 April 2022, and on the same date all his other positions related to the board will cease. For his replacement, the appropriate bodies have already begun to act, according to the procedures provided for by the Articles of Association. Note that Stefano Venier does not hold any shares in the Company. The Board of Directors would like to thank Stefano Venier, who has worked for Hera S.p.A. since 2004, for the important work he has done over the years, working alongside the top management and the entire organisation, and wishes him the utmost success in his new professional career. Press release AD Venier.pdf 13:09:00 Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg See the press release Nuova_Palazzina_110x150.1533218221.jpg
Online dal 05/04/2022 alle ore 13:09
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23/03/2022
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Financial Results

Hera Group approves results at 31/12/2021

2022-03-23 The year ended positively, with all operating and financial indicators up compared to 2020. Financial solidity, the pursuit of sustainable development and the value creation for local communities served all confirming the strong track record, enabling Hera to stand by its stakeholders and provide support. Proposed dividend revised upwards, now set at 12 cents per share Financial highlights • Revenues at 10,555.3‬ million euro (+49.1%) • Ebitda at 1,223.9 million euro (+9.0%) • Net profits for Shareholders at 333.5 million euro (+10.2%) • Net debt at 3,261.3 million euro, net debt/Ebitda improves to 2.66x • Proposed dividend increases to 12 cents per share (+9%) Operating highlights • Positive results from both internal and external growth • Significant contributions from the gas area, energy services and the waste management sector • Approximately 3.5 million customers in the energy sectors • Improvement in all sustainability indicators, with shared value Ebitda rising sharply to 570.6 million euro (+25.4%) Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated economic results at 31 December 2021 and the Report on remuneration policies and compensation paid, along with the Sustainability report. 20 years of uninterrupted growth, thanks to good operational, financial and fiscal management. The Hera Group closed the year 2021 with positive results, despite the complex scenario seen in Italy due to the ongoing Coronavirus emergency and, in the second half of the year, high volatility in the energy market. Thanks to its solid and efficient multi-business model and its good operational, financial and fiscal management, Hera managed to keep its results growing while pursuing sustainable development. It also succeeded in supporting its stakeholders, first and foremost its customers, with concrete actions such as bill instalment plans to enable them to meet their payments. . More generally, the Hera Group prolonged the path of uninterrupted growth that has characterised it since it was founded in 2002, continuing to leverage its own strategy: a balanced mix of internal and external growth, with significant economies of scale and an extraction of synergies that exceed expectations. . All this was accompanied by a wide range of initiatives for the energy transition, the circular economy and technological evolution, consistent with the path set out in the Business Plan to 2025, which aims to stand beside local areas in recovery, while respecting European strategies and the goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda. . Revenues exceed 10.5 billion, up 49.1% The Hera Group’s 2021 revenues rose to 10,555.3 million euro, up 49.1% from the 7,079.0 million euro seen in 2020, with growth in all areas. The energy sectors in particular showed higher revenues from sales and trading activities, higher volumes of gas sold and an increase in energy commodity prices, in addition to growth in energy services and value-added services for customers. Revenues in the waste management sector also increased, due to higher volumes of plastic materials sold and acquisitions in the industrial market. Lastly, note the contribution coming from network services (both regulated and for third parties) and other services such as public lighting and telecommunications. Ebitda increases to 1,223.9 million euro (+9.0%) Group Ebitda rose to 1,223.9 million euro, up 9% from the 1,123.0 million euro recorded in 2020. This increase is linked to the performance of the energy areas, which also include energy services related to energy efficiency in residential buildings (insulation bonus and 110% super-bonus). The positive results recorded in the waste management area were also decisive, particularly in the area of waste treatment, partially due to an increase in the number of plants managed following recent acquisitions. Operating results grow to 611.7 million euro (+11.0%) Net operating results were also up, reaching 611.7 million euro, up 11.0% from 551.3 million in 2020, despite higher provisions and amortisation for new investments made in the operating segments, and those resulting from changes in the scope of consolidation; this result is equivalent to 50% of Ebitda. Financial operations amounted to 119.8 million euro, up by 3.1 million euro compared to 31 December 2020, due to higher expenses from the sale of tax credits as part of the ecobonus activities, partly offset by the efficiencies achieved following the repurchase of part of the Group’s medium/long-term debt, lower discounting charges and higher profits from associates and joint ventures. Pre-tax profit increased from 434.6 million to 491.9 million (+13.2%). Net profit pertaining to shareholders rises to 333.5 million (+10.2%) Net profit as at 31 December 2021 rose to 372.7 million, up 15.5% from 322.8 million one year earlier. Special items coming to 12.6 million contributed to this result. The tax rate for the 2021 financial year was 26.8%, compared to 25.7% in the previous year. The 2021 tax rate was mainly determined by the benefits received in terms of large and very large depreciation, relating to the significant investments made by the Group in technological, digital and environmental transformation. Strong growth was also seen in profits pertaining to Group shareholders, which rose to 333.5 million, compared to 302.7 million in 2020 (+10.2%). Net investments increase to 570.3 million; net debt/Ebitda ratio improves to 2.66x In 2021, net investments amounted to 570.3 million, up 7.9% from 528.5 million in 2020. This includes 11 million in financial investments, mainly for an equity investment in SEA, a company based in Marche region, down from the previous year’s financial investments that included an equity investment in Ascopiave. Including capital grants, operating investments rose to 588.7 million, up 16.3% on the 506.4 million seen during the previous year, with a significant focus on asset resilience. More specifically, investments were allocated mainly to plants, networks and infrastructures, as well as to regulatory upgrading in the water and sewage sector and a large-scale installation of new-generation gas meters. In addition to financing these investments and paying dividends, the positive cash flow generation also made it possible to finance the M&A transactions carried out in 2021 and cover most of the liability management transactions, including the repurchase of loans with an approximate nominal value of 400 million maturing in the next few years. All this, while keeping net financial debt essentially stable, at 3,261.3 million on 31 December 2021, in line with 3,227.0 million at 31 December 2020. Hera’s financial solidity – which is also reflected by the ratings assigned by the main rating agencies: BBB+ with a stable outlook by Standard & Poor’s and Baa2 by Moody’s – was also confirmed by the net debt/Ebitda ratio 2.66x, an improvement compared to the 2.87x seen at the end of 2020. Group focus on sustainability confirmed, with shared value Ebitda increasing to 570.6 million These positive economic results go hand in hand with Hera’s increasing focus on sustainability. In 2021, shared value Ebitda, which refers to business activities that also meet the drivers for sustainable growth, rose to 570.6 million, a significant increase compared to 2020 (+25.4%) and corresponding to 46.6% of total Ebitda. This result is in line with the projections contained in the Business Plan, which expects this value to reach 55% of total Ebitda by 2025 and rise to 70% in 2030, along a linear path that generates concrete benefits for the areas and communities served, flanking the company’s own development. Proposed dividend rises to 12 cents per share Confirming the focus on generating value for shareholders, and in line with what was announced last January when the 2025 Business Plan was presented, in view of the positive results achieved, the Board of Directors has decided to propose to the Shareholders Meeting to be held on 28 April the payment of a dividend coming to 12 cents per share, higher than the amount expected by the previous Business Plan. The ex-dividend date has been set at 20 June 2022, with payment as of 22 June 2022. The dividend will be paid to shares recorded on 21 June 2022. br> Report on Remuneration policies and compensation paid approved The Board of Directors also approved the Report on Remuneration policies and compensation paid, in line with international best practices. Gas Ebitda for the gas area – which includes services in natural gas distribution and sales, district heating and heat management – grew significantly compared to the previous year, in terms of both earnings and volumes sold, rising to 487.6 million euro (+30.2%), compared to 374.4 million in 2020. This growth, which concerned both revenues and volumes sold, was achieved thanks to the positive contribution coming from the volumes sold in traditional markets, as a result of the recovery in consumption and production activities, which suffered a sharp slowdown in 2020 due to the pandemic, and in those segments subject to tenders, where Hera Comm further consolidated its presence. In last resort markets in particular, Hera Comm was awarded, for the period from 1 October 2021 to 30 September 2023, 6 out of 9 lots of the last resort gas service and all lots of the default gas service, as well as 9 lots of the Consip GAS13 tender, through which Public Administrations in 12 regions purchased gas in 2021. The increase in earnings is also linked to significant growth in the energy services business, due to incentives deriving from tax bonuses for energy efficiency works, confirming the trend of considerable growth in this sector recorded in previous quarters. The number of customers remained essentially stable, at 2.1 million. In 2021, gross investments totalled 141.3 million (+4.4% compared to 2020), mainly due to the installation of gas smart meters, including the innovative NexMeter patented by Hera, activities related to the acquisition of new customers, as well as non-recurring maintenance on networks and plants. As regards regulated services, in September 2021 the Hera Group, through its subsidiary AcegasApsAmga, was definitively awarded the tender for gas distribution in the Udine 2 ATEM for the next 12 years, with a value of approximately 115 million euro. The gas area accounted for 39.8% of Group Ebitda. Electricity The electricity area – which covers electricity generation, distribution and sales services – recorded an Ebitda coming to 144.7 million, down sharply from the 188.2 million seen one year earlier (-23.1%), mainly due to the reduction in the scope of operations in the safeguarded market and the lower calls for the dispatching market. Growth in free market activities, new value-added services, optimisation of plant production and distribution services compensated for the lower income coming from brokerage activities. Electricity customers came to over 1.4 million (+5.0%), with growth mainly in the free market, thanks to the strengthening of commercial actions and the award of the gradual protection service. In the electricity area, gross investments amounted to 55.3 million euro, up 15.9% on the previous year. The interventions carried out mainly concern non-recurring maintenance on distribution plants and networks in the Modena, Imola, Trieste and Gorizia areas, some new constructions, such as the Modena Est primary substation, as well as the replacement of meters. Requests for new connections also increased compared to the previous year. The electricity area accounted for 11.8% of Group Ebitda. Water cycle Ebitda for the integrated water cycle area – which includes services in the aqueduct, purification and sewerage – came to 262.4 million euro, essentially in line with the 265.8 million seen in the previous year. This result is due to higher operating costs on networks and plants, as a result of the resumption of activities after the lockdown, and revised technical quality criteria, partially offset by higher revenues from connections and growth in other revenues. The latter include the benefits recognised by Arera with the application of the new tariff method, linked to the significant investments made by the Group to implement measures increasing the resilience and sustainability of its plants, and thus continue to guarantee citizens quality, efficiency and continuity in supply. Including capital grants, investments amounted to 194.6 million euro (+17.1%), mainly going to extensions, reclamation and upgrades of networks and plants, as well as regulatory adjustments, especially in the purification and sewage sector. Among other things, work continued on the Rimini seawater protection plan, one of the most important and avant-garde works in Italy in the field of sewerage and purification, in addition to redeveloping the sewerage network in other areas. Requests for new water and sewage connections increased compared to the previous year, also driven by the economic recovery, particularly in the construction sector. At the end of 2021, Atersir definitively awarded the Hera Group the tender for managing the integrated water service in 24 municipalities in the province of Rimini, in Emilia-Romagna region, including the capital city, with a contract worth approximately 1.7 billion euro. Thanks to the award of the tender, one of the first in Italy, the new water distribution service in the Rimini area will be based on sustainability and innovation, and the Hera Group, also the outgoing manager for the 24 municipalities, will be responsible for the service for the next 18 years. The integrated water cycle area accounted for 21.4% of Group Ebitda. Waste management Ebitda for the waste management area – which includes waste collection, treatment and disposal services – rose to 291.7 million euro, +13.1% compared to the 258.0 million seen in 2020. This growth was achieved thanks to the ability shown by the Hera Group, the leading national operator in the waste management sector, to make the most of the current economic recovery. In addition to the contribution coming from an additional plant expansion, thanks to a series of M&A transactions in the industrial waste treatment sector, the increase in margins in the waste management area was due to higher revenues from growth in the volumes of waste treated and electricity generation, as well as strong development in the activities of the subsidiary Aliplast, a leader in the production of high quality recycled polymers, faced with a significant increase in demand and in the selling price of recycled materials. Initiatives in the field of the circular economy include those relating to Hera Business Solution, a “turnkey” multi-service proposal for large companies with integrated energy and environmental solutions aimed at sustainability, and the production of renewable energy with the development of the biomethane chain, also involving a collaboration with other local companies. Just last year, Hera signed a partnership with Inalca (Cremonini Group) to set up the NewCo Biorg for the transformation of organic waste and agro-food waste into 100% renewable methane and compost, which will be launched by the end of 2022. The Group’s focus on protecting and reusing environmental resources is also confirmed by the rate of sorted waste collection, which in 2021 stood at 65.3%, slightly up compared to the same period in 2020 if recalculated using uniform criteria. Investments coming to 98.2 million euro, up sharply compared to the previous year (+43.8%), mainly went to maintenance and expansion in the set of plants, including the start-up project with the NewCo Biorg in the Modena area, revamping work on the waste-to-energy plant in Trieste, and the F3 plant in Ravenna. Increased investments were also made in the collection point and equipment sector, which includes work on underground collection points. Lastly, in November 2021, Atersir definitively awarded the Hera Group the 15-year contract for municipal waste management services in Modena and Bologna, with a total of 1.5 million inhabitants and a value of over 2.5 billion. The waste management area accounted for 23.8% of Group Ebitda. Statement by Executive Chairman Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano In 2021, our commitment to pursuing the creation of value for the company and our stakeholders, with sustainable development, once again enabled us to achieve positive results and implement actions to support the environment in which we operate, starting with our customers. We will continue to do so in spite of the current scenario, which remains complex, and we look to the future by focusing on two factors that have always distinguished our twenty-year history: concreteness and solidity. Our decision to increase the dividend to 12 cents per share, in line with what we announced when we presented our new Business Plan, is a step in this direction and will benefit our shareholders, who will be able to count on higher income to face the current difficult situation. Risk prevention and management, moreover, is one of the strategic guidelines underpinning our Plan; it translates into the medium- to long-term approach required to anticipate actions and thus offset the risks to which utilities are exposed, deal with complexities and continue to guarantee service quality and continuity. Statement by CEO Stefano Venier The positive results achieved in 2021 show a further reinforcement of the company’s financial solidity, confirmed among other things by the net debt/Ebitda ratio, now at 2.66x, an improvement compared to the previous year. The positive cash flow allowed us to make greater investments, with positive repercussions for the areas in which we operate, in terms of both service quality and the induced economic activity created. Our greater solidity allows us to face the current complex scenario with confidence, continuing to guarantee investments and support for our stakeholders, with sustainability fully integrated into our business strategies. This is confirmed by the increase of over 25% in shared value Ebitda, which rose to 570.6 million in 2021 and accounted for 46.6% of total Ebitda, with the aim of reaching 70% in 2030. Impact of the conflict in Ukraine and of increases in energy commodity prices Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February triggered a series of economic and financial consequences, with an impact above all on the energy markets in which the Hera Group also operates. The already very high price of commodities, concerning both gas and electricity, has shown an extremely large degree of upward volatility. Within this scenario, two systemic risks in particular are becoming increasingly important: a further increase in inflation, due to energy commodities, with an effect on consumer products (agri-foods and industrial production) and a consequent impact on growth in GDP and energy demand; an unavailability of gas supplies from Russia – which account for 35%-40% of national consumption – would, depending on its duration, have an impact on industrial activities in the upcoming months, and also on domestic thermal consumption, if protracted beyond the summer. In line with its risk management strategy, the Hera Group is monitoring the evolution of this situation on a day-to-day basis, defining possible risk scenarios for its activities and identifying, where possible, mitigation actions. The manager responsible for drafting the company’s accounting statements, Luca Moroni, declares, pursuant to article 154-bis paragraph 2 of the TUF, that the information contained in the present press release corresponds to the documentation available and to the account books and entries. The financial statement and related materials will be available to the public pursuant to the terms established by law at the Company Headquarters, on the website www.gruppohera.it and on the authorised storage platform 1Info (www.1info.it), as of 6 April 2022. Unaudited extracts from the Financial Statements at 31 December 2021 are attached. Profit & Loss (m€) 31/12/2021 Inc.% 31/12/2020 Inc.% Ch. Ch. % Sales 10.555,3 7.079,0 +3.476,3 +49,1% Other operating revenues 400,1 3,8% 467,8 6,6% -67,7 -14,5% Raw material (6.668,5) -63,2% (3.410,6) -48,2% +3.257,9 +95,5% Services costs (2.464,6) -23,3% (2.424,9) -34,3% +39,7 +1,6% Other operating expenses (66,5) -0,6% (58,9) -0,8% +7,6 +12,9% Personnel costs (592,8) -5,6% (572,7) -8,1% +20,1 +3,5% Capitalisations 60,8 0,6% 43,3 0,6% +17,5 +40,5% Ebitda 1.223,9 11,6% 1.123,0 15,9% +100,9 +9,0% Depreciation and provisions (612,5) -5,8% (571,7) -8,1% +40,4 +7,1% Ebit 611,7 -5,8% 551,3 7,8% +60,4 +11,0% Financial inc./(exp.) (119,8) (1,1%) (116,7) (1,6%) +3,1 +2,7% Pre tax profit 491,9 4,7% 434,6 6,1% +57,3 +13,2% Taxes (131,8) -1,2% (111,8) -1,6% +20,0 +17,9% Net profit 360,1 3,4% 322,8 4,6% +37,3 +11,6% Special items 12,6 0,1% - 0,0% +12,6 +100,0% Net profit 372,7 3,5% 322,8 4,6% +49,9 +15,5% Attributable to: Shareholders of the Parent Company 333,5 3,2% 302,7 4,3 +30,8 +10,2% Minority shareholders 39,1 0,4% 20,1 0,3% +19,0 +94,6% Balance Sheet (m€) 31/12/2021 Inc.% 31/12/2020 Inc.% Ch. Ch. % Net fixed assets 7.308,0 109,4% 6.983,6 109,4% +324,4 +4,6% Working capital 2,5 0,10% 53,6 0,8% (50,1) 93,5% (Provisions)/td> (633,4) (9,5%) (654,9) (10,2%) 21,5 (3,3%) Net invested capital 6.678,1 100,0% 6.382,3 100,0% +295,8 +4,6% Net equity 3.416,8 51,2% 3.155,3 49,4% 261,5 +8,3% Long term net financial debt 3.633,1 54,4% 3.617,1 56,7% (16,0) 0,4% Short term net financial debt (371,8) (5,6%) (390,1) (6,1%) +18,3 (4,7%) Net financial debts 3.261,30 48,8% 3.227,0 50,6% +34,3 +1,1% Net invested capital 6.678,1 100,0% 6.382,3 100,0% 295,8 4,6% Press release FY2021.pdf 13:53:00 sede hera piloni (1).png Nuova_Palazzina_1_110x150_s1.1533219433 (1).jpg
Online dal 23/03/2022 alle ore 13:53
04/03/2022
Shareholders’ meeting
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Communication of the overall amount of voting rights

2022-03-04 (drafted pursuant to article 85-bis, paragraph 4-bis, of Consob Regulation 11971 / 14 May 1999) Communication of the overall amount of voting rights Bologna, 4 March 2022 - The following table contains the data concerning the shares outstanding and the number of voting rights representing the share capital as at 28 February 2022. Updated situation Previous situation Number of shares constituting the Share capital Number of voting rights Number of shares constituting the Share capital Number of voting rights Total of which: 1,489,538,745 2,229,451,858 1,489,538,745 2,229,681,921 Ordinary shares (regular dividend rights: 01.01.2021) - cod. ISIN IT0001250932 Current coupon: n. 20 749,625,632 749,625,632 749,395,569 749,395,569 Ordinary shares with increased voting rights (regular dividend rights: 01.01.2021) - cod. ISIN IT0005159972 Current coupon: n. 20 739,913,113 1,479,826,226 740,143,176 1,480,286,352 Press release Communication of the overall amount of voting rights art. 85-bis 4 March 2022.pdf 2019-07-03 14:34:00 Communication of the overall amount of voting rights
24/02/2022
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Top Utility 2022: Hera Group wins first prize overall

2022-02-24 On the occasion of the tenth edition of this award, reserved for public utility companies, Hera received the first prize overall among the companies analysed, awarded today during an event dedicated to digitalisation Top Utility According to Top Utility, the Hera Group is the leading Italian utility in terms of economic and financial policies, sustainability, research and innovation, communication and the positive effects on the areas served. This prize has been assigned over the last ten years following an analysis of the main companies in the water, energy and waste management sectors, carried out by a research team from Althesys, a consultancy firm specialising in the public utility sector. The award ceremony was held during an online event entitled “Digitalization and sustainability for the future of Italian utilities”. The Hera Group’s best practices rewarded over the 10 years of Top Utility In particular, this year the Hera Group was awarded the overall Top Utility prize for the following reasons: “For the excellent results achieved in all areas analysed, with particular reference going to stakeholder relations, transparency and communication. Hera has also confirmed itself at the forefront in digitalising business processes and in the sustainability of operations”. This is the second time that Hera has received this important award, an even more significant achievement since this marks the twentieth anniversary of the Group’s establishment, which occurred in 2002 when 11 municipal companies in the Emilia-Romagna region merged. Today, Hera is the first operator nationwide in the waste management area, second in the integrated water cycle and third in electricity and gas sales. Over this award’s history, Hera’s efficiency and good practices have been abundantly confirmed: in addition to receiving the overall Top Utility in 2012, in 2014 and 2019 it received a prize in the communication and transparency category, in 2015 and 2018 in the sustainability category, and in 2021 in the gender equality and diversity and inclusion category. Looking to the future: a focus on generating shared value These two anniversaries are important in conceiving the future of this sector, examining the growth and evolution that municipal utilities have undergone to date and the strong impact they have had on local communities. In this sense, the core of the Hera Group’s strategy and identity consists in uninterrupted economic growth accompanied by sustainable development of its businesses and the areas served. Its commitment to generating shared value has indeed been confirmed as the cornerstone of its relations with all the stakeholders with whom Hera interacts, starting from its own employees and including institutions, local communities, customers, shareholders, citizens and suppliers. Press release Top utility 2022.pdf 2020-03-23 12:55:00 Top Utility
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01/02/2022
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Hera Spa

Hera wins 2022 sustainability gold medal from S&P Global

2022-02-01 For the second time in a row, Hera has been awarded the S&P Global Gold Class Sustainability Award. This is the highest recognition reserved for listed companies included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, one of the most authoritative international indices for assessing ESG factors, in which the Group had also confirmed its ranking as sector leader last year S&P Global 2022 The Hera Group is once again a global gold medal winner for sustainability, for the second consecutive year. The S&P Global 2022 Gold Class award was announced today, together with the publication of the 2022 Sustainability Yearbook, the report containing the analyses carried in order to be included in the latest edition of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI). This document highlights the results achieved by Hera, a leader in all three aspects evaluated in its area (Environment, Economic & Governance and Social), for its ability to efficiently manage resources, seize market opportunities and ensure stakeholder involvement. In the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the authoritative international stock exchange index which evaluates listed companies based on ESG aspects, Hera was confirmed as the international leader in its sector (Multi-Utilities & Water), reaching a score of 90/100, compared to an average of 39/100. The 2022 Gold Class offers further recognition for the Hera Group’s strategy, in which business activities and attention to ESG factors have always gone hand in hand. The Business Plan to 2025 itself, presented last week, consolidates the Group’s commitment to a balanced and sustainable development, in order to continue creating value for shareholders, local areas and the communities served. This new five-year strategic document foresees concrete and innovative projects for the energy transition, the circular economy and technological evolution, thanks to a strong rise in investments, most of which meet the criteria with which the European Taxonomy identifies opportunities that contribute to reaching environmental policy objectives. The Group’s commitment, made explicit in its Plan to 2025, translates into industrial objectives consistent with European policies and the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development. This includes a series of targets for 2030, among which a 37% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 2019 and a 150% increase in the amount of recycled plastic compared to 2017. S&P Global 2022 Press release Hera wins 2022 sustainability gold medal SP Global.pdf 2015-04-17 13:30:36 S&P Global 2022 S&P Global 2022
Online dal 01/02/2022 alle ore 13:30
28/01/2022
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Calendar of corporate events

2022-01-28 Sede Hera CALENDAR OF CORPORATE EVENTS (*) In accordance with art. 2.6.2 (Required Reporting) of the “Rules of the markets organised and managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A.", please find below our annual calendar of corporate events: 23 March 2022 - Meeting of the Board of Directors to approve the previous year’s preliminary financial statements. 28 April 2022 - Shareholders’ Meeting to approve the previous year’s financial statements. 11 May 2022 - Meeting of the Board of Directors to approve additional financial information for the period ending on 31 March 2022. 27 July 2022 - Meeting of the Board of Directors to approve the half-year financial report as at 30 June 2022. 9 November 2022 - Meeting of the Board of Directors to approve additional financial information for the period ending on 30 September 2022. The Board of Directors, as communicated for the previous financial year and in line with the past, in order to guarantee regularity in the information provided to the financial market and investors, has decided to continue preparing and publishing this information quarterly, on a voluntary basis and in line with current regulations. Also note that, in compliance with the provisions of the Instructions for Regulations of the Markets Organised and Managed by Borsa Italiana S.p.A. (Title IA.2, Section IA.2.1, Art. IA.2, Section IA.2.1, Art. IA.2.1.3), the payment of dividends for the financial year 2021 is scheduled to begin on 22 June 2022, with ex-dividend date on 20 June 2022 and record date on 21 June 2022. The above is disclosed in order to comply with the requirements of Borsa Italiana S.p.A. and, therefore, this communication cannot be interpreted as a forecast concerning the existence of the conditions for the payment of dividends during this year or in future years. (*) barring changes Press release Corporate events calendar.pdf 2020-07-02 14:15:00 Sede Hera
27/01/2022
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Hera Spa

Hera Group approves Business Plan to 2025

2022-01-27 The new five-year strategic document builds on the Group’s path of growth, with investments coming to over 3.8 billion and concrete energy transition and circular economy projects. The Plan is solidly based on twenty years of experience, with positive value creation for shareholders, local areas and the communities served, and on the results for the 2021 financial year, whose Ebitda is estimated at over 1.2 billion euro Sede Hera Operating-financial highlights 2025 Ebitda: 1.4 billion euro (+277 million compared to 2020) Total industrial and financial investments: over 3.8 billion Net debt/Ebitda at 2.8x in 2025 Further increase in dividends, reaching 14.5 cents per share in 2025 (+32% compared to the last dividend paid) All five-year operating and ESG targets revised upwards Industrial highlights Confirmation of strategy focused on 3 areas: environment, socio-economic factors and innovation, with a wide range of concrete projects in all business areas Development driven by both internal and external growth (M&As) and balanced between regulated and free-market activities Goal of 4.5 million energy customers by 2025 Shared value at 780 million euro by 2025 (roughly 55% of total Ebitda) Among the objectives for 2030: reducing CO2 emissions by 37% and increasing recycled plastic by 150% A Plan that combines growth, value creation and sustainable development Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, approved the Business Plan to 2025, which consolidates the Group’s commitment to balanced and sustainable development in all business areas, with the aim of continuing to create value for shareholders, local areas and the communities served. With Ebitda expected to reach 1.4 billion in 2025 and investments totalling approximately 3.8 billion over the period covered by the Plan, this five-year strategic document shows increases in all main targets and outlines a wide range of actions for the energy transition, the circular economy and technological evolution, with concrete and innovative projects that will also benefit from funding opportunities coming from the Recovery and Resilience Plan. 20 years of uninterrupted growth, and 2021 Ebitda expected to total over 1.2 billion euro The new Plan is based on a trend of uninterrupted growth, as is proven by Group Ebitda, which has increased more than sixfold in 20 years. This consistent and linear path has been seen since the establishment of the Hera Group, which is characterised by a full correspondence between the commitments made and the initiatives implemented, capital and financial solidity and a multi-business strategy that balances regulated and free market activities, internal growth and M&A transactions. This model, which has proved its resilience and capability of supporting stakeholders, even during adverse scenarios, has enabled the Hera Group to consolidate leading positions in all business areas. Projections for 2021 year-end results are also positive, exceeding expectations, with a preliminary Ebitda rising to over 1,220 million euro, compared to 1,123 million at the end of 2020, and a net debt/Ebitda ratio coming to approximately 2.7x, an improvement on 31 December 2020. Last year, in addition to increased dividends, significant investments were seen, amounting to over 650 million euro, with strong growth over 2020. A recovering macroeconomic scenario, with coordinated actions for a fair and sustainable transition After the slowdown seen in 2020 due to the health emergency, global trends are now positive, with the European and Italian economies returning to rapid growth. This recovery, moreover, is generating tension in some sectors, such as raw materials, causing a significant increase in market volatility, which is set to continue in the coming months, and which will see the Group further strengthen both its risk management strategies and its actions to support stakeholders. In this framework, European and national institutions are implementing coordinated and convergent actions aimed at a fair, sustainable and inclusive transition. In particular, with its Recovery and Resilience Plan, Italy has entered the executive phase of the Green Deal, with funds supporting carbon neutrality interventions and regenerative and circular development models. The opportunities seen in the Italian context also include those related to the consolidation of markets that are still overly fragmented, tenders for the renewal of services under concession, and the further liberalisation of electricity sales, with the elimination of protected markets. Three focal points of the Business Plan to 2025: environment, socio-economic factors and innovation In a context undergoing recovery, with an increasing emphasis on sustainability and the utilities sector set to benefit from the most significant share of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Hera Group will be able to continue to leverage the competitive position it has cultivated over the years and thus grow. In full compliance with national and European policies and the objectives on the UN’s 2030 Agenda, which have been guiding Hera’s strategies for some time, all projects in the Business Plan to 2025 are structured around three focal points: the environment, socio-economic factors and innovation, with initiatives for the green and digital transition, capable of generating positive effects in the areas served. The environmental focal points include initiatives to combat climate change, in order to achieve carbon neutrality, with actions to reduce emissions, increase infrastructure resilience and promote the circular economy. The socio-economic aspects, on the other hand, aim to create “shared value”: under the Plan, the Hera Group will extend the range and quality of its services in areas where it has been present for quite some time, reinforced by the newly awarded tenders for regulated service concession renewals, and in new areas as well, and will seize further development opportunities through external growth. Lastly, innovation will embrace all opportunities linked to technological evolution, with the aim of further increasing the efficiency and quality of services, and above all introducing changes in its model of organisational management. A strong increase in investments, coming to over 3.8 billion euro, thanks to the Group’s financial solidity The Plan to 2025 calls for a sharp increase in investments, amounting to more than 3.8 billion euro, or approximately 770 million per year. This is a very significant rise – equivalent to 60% – compared to the average seen over the last five years, and is possible thanks to its solid financial structure, reinforced over the years and in 2021 as well. Investment allocation combines internal development opportunities with actions to increase system resilience (accounting for roughly 1.2 billion). Significant investments for innovation will be made in all business areas and support will be given to the ongoing transition. In general, of the total investments envisaged in the Plan, more than 1.7 billion are aligned with the criteria with which the European Taxonomy identifies opportunities that contribute to environmental policy objectives, in particular the two areas regulated for now, relating to mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. Furthermore, many of these interventions respect the directions indicated by the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Thanks to an optimisation of financial and fiscal costs, the Plan outlines an increasing creation of value, as seen among other factors by ROE and ROI, projected at 10.6% and 8.7% respectively in 2025, a particularly appreciable result considering that the recent reduction in WACC for regulated activities concerns 60% of the invested capital. Moreover, the net debt to Ebitda ratio at 2025 is expected to be 2.8x, consistent with the current figure and indicative of a strong self-financing capability, providing room for manoeuvre that will allow the Group to take advantage of any additional unforeseen opportunities that may arise during the period covered by the Plan. Ebitda expected to rise to 1.4 billion by 2025, thanks to both internal and external growth The improved scenario and the increase in investments have enabled the Hera Group to revise all its five-year targets upwards, first and foremost Ebitda, which is expected to reach 1.4 billion euro in 2025, 277 million more than the 1,123 million seen at the end of 2020. The average annual increase comes to 4.5%, higher than the 3.7% forecast by the previous Plan (this data already includes the impact of the reduction in tariffs following Arera’s WACC revision for regulated activities included in gas, electricity and water bills). Besides the positive contribution coming from all business sectors, internal growth and operating efficiencies will contribute 192 million euro to Ebitda, while 100 million will come from new M&As, plus any synergies that the Group will be able to extract, in line with its previous trends. A further 22 million in Ebitda will be generated by the operations concluded in late 2020 and early 2021: the acquisition of the company Wölmann, which operates in photovoltaic panel installation, the energy sales company Ecogas and three companies in the industrial waste sector: Recycla, Gruppo Vallortigara and SEA. Synergies, efficiency gains, expansion of market shares, new projects and investments will thus make it possible to offset the negative impacts, totalling 37 million, deriving from the loss of some incentives, such as those on the production of renewable energy, and the cut in the WACC on regulated services mentioned above. Sustainability as a strategic priority: “shared value” Ebitda at 55% in 2025, almost 70% in 2030 Sustainability remains one of the cornerstones of the Group’s strategies for growth, perfectly integrated and relevant to all operating areas, with an increasing focus on creating value for stakeholders, as shown by the recent introduction of the concept of corporate purpose in the Group’s Articles of Association. “Shared value” Ebitda itself, reported since 2016 and referring to business activities that meet the sustainability goals on the UN Agenda, has increased steadily over the years. It is expected to reach roughly 55% of total Ebitda in 2025, equivalent to 780 million euro, and to amount 70% in 2030, along a linear path that generates concrete benefits for the areas and communities served, proportionately reflecting the company’s own development. The Hera Group’s best practices in ESG areas, in any case, have long been recognised both nationally and internationally. Along with ranking first in the 2021 Integrated Governance Index, which measures the integration of sustainability into corporate strategies, Hera has been included, as leader in its sector (Multi-Utility & Water), for the second year in a row, in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World and Europe, one of the most authoritative stock exchange indices in the world assessing social responsibility. Further increase in dividends, rising to 14.5 cents per share As confirmation of its focus on generating value for shareholders, the Group plans to pay steadily increasing dividends: upon approval of the 2021 Financial Statements, the Group will in fact propose to the Board of Directors a 12 €cents/share dividend, compared to 11 €cents/share for the 2020 dividend, thus showing an increase of 1 €cent instead of 0.5 €cents, as initially planned. This additional increase will thus benefit all prospected dividends, which will reach 14.5 €cents/share in 2025 (32% more than the last dividend paid). This higher dividend payment is in line with the expected trend in earnings per share, which will also rise by 5.7% per year on average until 2025. The networks sector: resilience, resource regeneration and development of “clean energy” solutions Ebitda expected in 2025 from the networks sector – which includes electricity and gas distribution services, the water cycle and district heating – comes to 533 million euro, up 73 million compared to 2020. This target is all the more significant considering that it fully offsets the revised WACC, effective as of 1 January 2022, which will have a -22 million impact over the period covered by the Plan. Most of the internal growth will come from two main drivers: infrastructure development, with investments bringing overall RAB to 4 billion euro, and further cost efficiency coming to 40 million euro, made possible among other things by an increased use of digitalisation and innovations on infrastructures that introduce new operating models. More specifically, Hera will invest approximately 2.1 billion euro in extending, modernising and evolving its networks, focusing on integrating traditional methods with technologically innovative solutions to ensure resilience, efficiency and business continuity even in the event of extreme weather events. Interventions for the smart transition include installing approximately 420,000 second generation (2G) electricity meters that will measure consumption more precisely. As regards gas distribution, in addition to replacing gas meters in compliance with regulatory obligations, installation of “NexMeter” devices will continue, patented by the Group and equipped with advanced safety functions in the event of leaks or earthquakes, and cutting-edge technology in terms of reducing gas dispersion into the atmosphere. By 2025, 300,000 will be installed, 200,000 of which in the new recycled plastic version and ready to measure blends with “green gas”. This green version of NexMeter will be at the centre of the first trial in Italy concerning the use of gas and hydrogen mixtures in household gas distribution, in the Modena area. Hera’s multi-business competence, indeed, represents a strategic opportunity to develop solutions in the field of “clean energies”, as shown by the project for a unit with power-to-gas technology at the Bologna Corticella purification plant, already at an advanced planning stage, with start-up expected by 2023. As regards tenders for gas distribution, Hera aims to confirm its position as service manager in the areas already covered, with two more tenders expected over the period covered by the Plan, in addition to ATEM Udine 2, which the Group was recently awarded. In district heating, Hera’s goals include increasing volumes distributed and developing the heat generation mix, with the goal of reaching 77% of energy from renewable and assimilated sources in the networks managed by the Group within 2025. Lastly, in the water cycle, Hera will aim for an increasingly efficient use of water resources, with a reduction in consumption and circularity solutions, and will invest in new technologies to increase network efficiency and resilience, through means including enhanced automation and remote monitoring. The energy sector: 4.5 million customers by 2025 and focus on value-added services and energy efficiency By 2025, Ebitda in the energy sector will amount to 444 million euro, up 76 million compared to the 368 million seen in 2020, while the investments made during the period covered by the Plan period will come to approximately 550 million euro. Hera will continue its efforts to expand the customer base, with the aim of consolidating its position as the third largest operator in the energy sector in Italy and reaching 4.5 million customers by 2025, due to factors including upcoming competitive procedures for eliminating protected markets. This will be due to significant investments in customer experience, to improve its effectiveness and efficiency, introducing new functions and tools to encourage customer involvement and interaction with the company, while maintaining the “cost to serve” per client stable over the years. Ebitda will be sustained first and foremost by extracting commercial expansion and cross-selling activities – amounting to approximately 27 million – due in particular to the integration of EstEnergy, the internal growth created by sales campaigns and the increased amount of value-added services and energy efficiency, continuing also to take advantage of all the opportunities related to the so-called super-ecobonus. The range of value-added services, in particular, will be further expanded with solutions for reducing consumption and new integrated proposals for protecting the environment, such as photovoltaics. This focus on sustainability is confirmed by the fact that proposals are already made to all retail customers for 100% energy from renewable sources. Hera will also continue to invest in developing electric mobility, with the aim of installing more than 4,000 recharging points by 2025, integrating its offer with a series of advanced products and services. Lastly, as regards external growth, following up on the acquisitions already completed, the Group will aim to acquire new customer packages in a market that is still highly fragmented and in which smaller operators, vulnerable due to the currently high volatility of energy markets, are disappearing. A leader in waste management, with outstanding plants and innovative projects for the circular economy Ebitda for the waste management sector will also rise, going from 258 million euro in 2020 to 380 million in 2025, with investments expected to amount to almost 1.1 billion over the period covered by the Plan. In this sector, the Hera Group is the leading operator nationally, with a set of approximately ninety state-of-the-art facilities in line with European best practices, capable of treating all types of waste. Under the Plan, the Group aims to consolidate its leadership through new acquisitions, commercial development, growth in volumes treated, increased recovery and recycling activities. It will thus meet the rapidly growing demand and continue to implement projects in support of the circular economy. Group subsidiary Aliplast, already a leader in plastics recycling, will play a central role in promoting the circular economy, extending its efforts by increasing the capacity of plants dedicated to treating flexible plastics (PET and LDPE). Thanks to its partnership with NextChem, part of the Maire Tecnimont Group, it will also enter the rigid plastics segment, with the construction in Modena of an innovative plant producing high-quality recycled polymers, which will promote the sustainability of certain sectors, such as IT and consumer electronics, which until now have only been able to use virgin plastics for their products. A new plant is also being planned to recycle carbon fibre, which can then be reused to make new products, particularly in the automotive sector. In general, the objective is to increase the volume of recycled plastic by 125% in 2025 compared to 2017. In addition, Hera plans to double its production of biomethane – reaching 16.8 million cubic metres per year in 2025 – by replicating the positive experience of the Sant’Agata Bolognese plant in Bologna area, which produces compost and biomethane from organic waste, fuelling sustainable mobility. Through the NewCo Biorg, born out of a partnership with the Cremonini Group, a plant in Spilamberto in Modena area will be restructured to produce biomethane and compost from organic waste and agro-food waste, while in the Marche region Hera is continuing to work on an anaerobic biodigester from organic waste, generating positive effects in an area currently lacking in facilities of this type. Thanks to its unique offer of sustainable and integrated solutions, Hera also aims to expand its industrial customer base. The synergies between the Group’s companies make it possible to offer businesses customised “turnkey” service packages that include all activities relating to the waste cycle, water resources and energy services. A further contribution to enriching Group’s proposals and its geographical coverage will come from recent M&As in industrial waste treatment: in 2021, in fact, Hera acquired 70% of the Friuli-based company Recycla, 31% of Sea in the Marche region and 80% of the Vallortigara Group located in Veneto. Lastly, as regards municipal waste services, the Group has already won tenders in the Ravenna-Cesena, Modena and Bologna areas and aims to confirm its management of this service in the remaining areas already covered in Emilia-Romagna. In these areas, Hera intends to further improve the percentage of sorted waste collected, reaching 76% by 2025, with measures to increase its quality as well, such as involving citizens and businesses with dedicated initiatives and communication campaigns, and installing around 62 thousand “Smarty” computerised bins, automated and remotely controlled, during the period covered by the Plan. The main industrial objectives to 2025, with an eye on 2030 as well The Group’s commitment towards the content of the Plan to 2025 translates into industrial objectives consistent with European policies and UN recommendations. Moreover, in order to define its contribution even more precisely, Hera has extended its perspective to include a series of targets to 2030. One of the most important of these goals is to work towards carbon neutrality. Hera has set itself one of the most ambitious greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for a company in Italy: 37% by 2030, after achieving 26% in 2025 (in both cases compared to 2019). This target – validated by the prestigious international network Science Based Target initiative – is even more significant since it takes into account both the Group’s activities and those of its suppliers and customers in electricity and gas sales. The Group has also confirmed its commitment to the circular economy and regenerating resources. Some targets include: increasing the percentage of packaging recycling, from 73% in 2020 to 76% in 2025 and over 80% in 2030, and increasing the percentage of wastewater reused, from 5.1% in 2020 to 8.5% in 2025 and 15% in 2030. Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group The Hera Group’s Business Plan to 2025 outlines new development objectives for our company, in economic terms and as regards sustainability. In order to achieve these goals, we have allocated significant investments to continue introducing cutting-edge projects in the areas where we have a consolidated presence. These investments will also allow us to expand our scope, seizing the best opportunities for competition in the still highly fragmented sectors in which we operate. In an increasingly complex economic context, we wish to concretely contribute to recovery and the sustainable transition in Italy, with a multifaceted series of interventions, in line with the notices of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Our multi-utility has now reached maturity, and not only in terms of age: this Plan crowns 20 years of progressive and linear growth, which has also generated value in the communities served. We have proved able to look to the future, extending our knowledge and perspectives, while being able to count on the solid foundations provided by our heritage and a consolidated strategy. Above all in the difficult times that our country has recently experienced, we have continued to guarantee quality services – as demonstrated by being awarded all tenders for regulated services held to date in the areas we cover – and to support those who have believed in us. This means our employees, customers, suppliers and shareholders, to whom we plan to pay dividends with further increases compared to what was previously defined, reaching 14.5 cents per share by 2025, following a growth rate of approximately 6%, in line with the expected trend in net results. Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group The strategies set out in the Hera Group’s Business Plan to 2025 confirm and consolidate the orientations we have defined in the past, proving the effectiveness of the guidelines adopted by our multi-utility, which perfectly reflect European policies and the drivers of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development. The improved cash flows expected will make it possible to self-finance our entire investment plan and remuneration for our shareholders. In order to focus our actions even more effectively, over the last two years we have begun measuring our progress with respect to the ambitious targets set for 2030, thus strengthening our commitment to the energy transition, the circular economy and technological evolution. Business activities and attention to ESG factors have always gone hand in hand for us, and over the years “shared value” Ebitda has grown at the same rate as the Group itself: in 2025 we expect this figure to reach 55% of total Ebitda, rising to 70% in 2030. Press release Business Plan to 2025.pdf 2020-07-02 14:03:00 Sede Hera
Online dal 27/01/2022 alle ore 14:03
26/01/2022
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Hera Group in the 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

2022-01-26 This year, for the third year in a row, Hera has been included in the international index assessing gender equality, diversity and inclusion Sede Hera The Hera Group has confirmed its status as one of the world’s most inclusive companies, attentive to gender equality and promoting diversity. In 2022, the Group has indeed been included, for the third consecutive time, in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, confirming and improving its results in all areas analysed. Hera stands out most importantly for its transparency in disclosure on these issues, as well as its inclusive corporate culture and its attention towards women in many areas, including equal pay. The Group obtained an overall score slightly above 80%, a significant increase over the previous year and better than both the sector average and the Italian companies analysed. This year, the index included 418 listed companies from 45 countries, selected from over 11,700, reflecting the international financial community’s growing interest towards companies with outstanding diversity policies. Hera’s presence in the 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index confirms the attention it has always reserved for these issues, following a path it has enhanced over time. Diversity policies are in fact an integral part of Hera’s business strategies. For over 10 years, a company Diversity Manager, accompanied by a team of female and male colleagues from different areas, has been committed to promoting diversity both inside and outside the Group, supporting initiatives intended to raise awareness and support, and developing projects geared towards these priorities. At Hera, promoting diversity, inclusion and people development is also central to human resource management. Professional growth takes place regardless of gender, and equal access is ensured by meritocratic systems that are guaranteed to be applied, with compensation and benefits tools linked to performance, role complexity and market comparisons. The Group counts 32.6% of women in roles of responsibility and, more generally, a 26.7% share of female staff, higher than the national average for the sector (2020 data). As further proof of the Group’s attention to these topics, it has also been included for some time in the Refinitiv “Diversity & Inclusion Index” and, boasting a position of world leadership in its sector, in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and Europe, the authoritative stock exchange index for evaluating social responsibility, which brings together the companies with the best sustainability performance in the world. Press release Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index.pdf 2020-07-02 14:17:00 Sede Hera
20/01/2022
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Hera Top Employer for the 13th time

2022-01-20 Once again among Italy’s highest ranked employers, this year second place overall among companies nationwide for outstanding human resource management, Hera has reached its first milestone of the new year, which marks its twentieth anniversary. Training, welfare and digitalisation among the Group’s strong points. Sede Hera The start of a new year is always an occasion to look back in time, but even more so to look forward, taking a look at results and focusing on new objectives. In 2022, this is all the more true for the Hera Group, since this year marks the twentieth anniversary of its establishment. This is why receiving Top Employer certification for the 13th consecutive year, a sign of excellence in human resource management, is even more significant. Hera, after gaining recognition as the best company in 2020 and 2021, has found its place on the podium this year as well, ranking second overall in Italy among the 1,600 companies analysed by the Dutch Top Employer Institute. How? Over the years, Hera has provided itself with the best technologies, projects and initiatives to invest in the skills and well-being of its workers and select the most interesting talent on the market. One aspect which is increasingly crucial on the workplace as well, especially considering the changes in external contexts, is the care given to relations, which must be seen as real capital. Hera has decided to invest in this area, through means including training and corporate culture. HerAcademy, the Hera Group’s corporate university, plays a leading role in this field, and at the end of last year it organised a conference entitled “The evolution of social and relational dynamics for the ‘rebirth’ of work”, an event which called on leading figures from the world of business, academics and professionals. The goal was to compare experiences and practices, demonstrating that only by being part of a solid and motivated team is it possible to meet the challenges awaiting us outside and inside organisations. Moreover, the Hera Group has always stood out for its organisational methods, promoting agility in work, safety and the value given to the uniqueness of people, all within a context highly exposed to change. Alongside the increasing importance of training and welfare, along with a corporate culture dedicated to the inclusion of diversity, Hera has proven able to meet the challenge of digitalising services and therefore professional activities. Within this process, which is now in full swing and covers all company activities, even the most operational, employees have been accompanied but above all listened to, trying to understand and share their needs. Overall, this commitment has been recognised by the workers themselves, as shown by the latest employee climate survey, in which 82% of the company’s workforce took part and in which the company achieved excellent results. 16 years after the first survey, the overall satisfaction index has risen by more than 20 points, reaching 71 on a scale of 1 to 100. All of this testifies to the effectiveness of the steps towards improvement introduced following numerous communication initiatives. “For us, 2022 promises to be a very important year, encouraging us to look to the future with confidence, feeling proud of what we have done so far”, states Hera Group Executive Chairman Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano. “Ours is a twenty-year journey that began from local communities, from the people who live in them and to whom we provide essential services, but which has even more distant roots in the many companies out of which the Hera Group was born in 2002. It was very clear to us that our workers deserved to be at centre stage, because their skills and motivation are crucial to ensuring the continuity and constantly increasing quality of our services. This is why recognition as a Top Employer is so important: we have achieved this goal for 13 years, but we want to continue to take pride in it and invest in it, without ever taking it for granted. We will continue to promote the development of the idea of our organisation as a community and as a social environment, by constantly investing in the growth of our people.” Press release Hera Top Employer.pdf 2020-07-02 11:29:00 Sede Hera
04/01/2022
Shareholders’ meeting
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Communication of the overall amount of voting rights

2022-01-04 (drafted pursuant to article 85-bis, paragraph 4-bis, of Consob Regulation 11971 / 14 May 1999) Communication of the overall amount of voting rights Bologna, 4 January 2022 - The following table contains the data concerning the shares outstanding and the number of voting rights representing the share capital as at 31 December 2021. Updated situation Previous situation Number of shares constituting the Share capital Number of voting rights Number of shares constituting the Share capital Number of voting rights Total of which: 1,489,538,745 2,229,681,921 1,489,538,745 2,230,666,054 Ordinary shares (regular dividend rights: 01.01.2021) - cod. ISIN IT0001250932 Current coupon: n. 20 749,395,569 749,395,569 748,411,436 748,411,436 Ordinary shares with increased voting rights (regular dividend rights: 01.01.2021) - cod. ISIN IT0005159972 Current coupon: n. 20 740,143,176 1,480,286,352 741,127,309 1,482,254,618 Press release Communication of the overall amount of voting rights art. 85bis.pdf 2019-07-03 14:02:00 Communication of the overall amount of voting rights
30/11/2021
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Hera Group: with NexMeter the gas meter goes green

2021-11-30 Hera’s smart gas meter 4.0, the first of its kind internationally in terms of safety functions, is already prepared for its first experimentation in the network with hydrogen, and its construction in recycled plastic further confirms the commitment to the energy transition and circularity. Not only equipped with outstanding technology and functions, including reducing gas dispersion into the atmosphere, the device is at the centre of the first experimentation in Italy with the use of hydrogen in domestic gas distribution Nexmeter With the Hera Group, also gas distribution is going green. NexMeter, Hera’s smart gas meter 4.0, the first of its kind worldwide in terms of cutting-edge technology and safety functions, including reducing gas dispersion into the atmosphere, will be made from recycled plastic and can already be used for distributing hydrogen in the network up to a maximum of 20% compatibility, with a trial planned in the coming months. This advanced meter is therefore a concrete example of the Hera Group’s commitment to the energy transition and carbon neutrality, focusing on green gases, such as biomethane, hydrogen and green syngas, and contributing to the fight against climate change. Furthermore, it results from Hera’s experience and know-how in management of the gas distribution service, combined with continuous investments in innovation, research and development, and confirms the Group’s collaboration with outstanding partners: Panasonic, the Japanese multinational global leader in electronic products and components, and Pietro Fiorentini, an Italian company and market leader in creating products and services for the entire natural gas chain. The advanced version of NexMeter will be previewed today in Milan at Enlit, the most important event in the sector. NexMeter gets the “stamp” for hydrogen operation The new NexMeter is now ready to be used with hydrogen distributed through the network, having obtained the “stamp of approval” certifying its compatibility with green gas mixtures. This is thanks to the metrological certification carried out by Tifernogas, a notified body pursuant to the relevant Directives (2014/32/EU MI-002 and MI-008), and the construction analysis concerning the compatibility of its materials with blending hydrogen and methane, carried out by RINA, an international engineering, consulting, inspection, quality assurance and quality control company in the energy sector. An immediate debut: initial experiments with hydrogen in the domestic gas network soon to be underway NexMeter’s first field test involving hydrogen will be carried out during the next few months, as part of a wider set of activities aimed at certifying the entire Hera Group’s supply chain as qualified to use green gases. More specifically, it involves introducing a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen into a portion of the distribution network managed by the Group, involving around thirty households in Castelfranco Emilia in Modena province. This is the first experiment of this kind in Italy as regards domestic gas distribution, and it aims at studying innovative solutions to contribute to the local area’s needs as regards decarbonisation, with benefits for the environment as well. The trial is also part of the Group’s broader strategy for developing hydrogen in a two-fold perspective: on the one hand, upgrading its assets, starting with the gas distribution networks, and on the other, creating new business opportunities, which Hera can make the most of by leveraging its multi-business expertise, including partnerships with other major industrial operators. A green device with environmental benefits with over 68% of its elements made in recycled plastic NexMeter’s advanced functions have numerous environmental and economic benefits: eliminating leaks reduces methane dispersion, which in turn is highly polluting, while the entire process of optimising gas network management has a positive impact on the performance and emissions of user appliances, first and foremost boilers. Its ability to detect and signal to users even the smallest gas leaks also helps contain costs in their bills. But that’s not all: the new NexMeter model will be the first meter on the market with most of its components made of recycled plastic, reaching over 68%. To achieve this result, the Hera Group, which has always been committed to the circular economy and regenerating resources, can count on the expertise of its subsidiary Aliplast, a leader in plastic recycling and regeneration, with plants in Italy and abroad, and an annual production of around 100,000 tonnes of recycled plastic. The metre’s manuals are also green and smart, with a QR code included on the meter instead of a classic instruction manual, to avoid paper consumption, and packaging in recycled cardboard. 300,000 NexMeter meters installed by 2023 in earthquake-prone areas The previous model of NexMeter, we should recall, was already equipped with advanced functions, including a cutting-edge "mini-computer" offering absolute precision and safety, since it is capable of intercepting in real time even minimal leaks or tremors in the event of earthquakes. Launched in 2019, these devices are still being installed, with 70,000 devices already in operation. Thanks to approximately 45 million in investments, the Group’s goal is to reach 300,000 NexMeters installed by 2023, 200,000 of which will be made of recycled plastic. The areas concerned are those served by the Hera Group’s distribution companies, starting with areas classified as at risk of earthquakes or where the latter have recently occurred, such as Emilia-Romagna and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. “With NexMeter, two years ago, we gave concrete proof of our ability to invest and innovate in a sector that remains quite traditional, such as gas distribution, paying particular attention to safety and reducing gas dispersion into the atmosphere, a factor that was also at the centre of debates during the recent Cop26 – states Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group – Today, with this new version of the device, ready for hydrogen and made of recycled plastic, we are taking a further step forward, continuing to exploit our in-depth experience in this field with the skills offered by the most qualified partners, nationally and internationally. Actions and investments for the circular economy and innovation guide, indeed, the strategies set out in our Business Plan, in line with European guidelines and the goals on the UN 2030 Agenda. As a local multi-utility, we also have the task of growing while promoting sustainable development in the communities we serve, with advanced solutions that respect the environment and meet the safety and quality needs of citizens. NexMeter is a tangible example of our commitment to carrying out this mission in the best possible way.” “We are honoured to have contributed to the development of NexMeter which today added the use of green gas, especially hydrogen, to the safety functions, meeting the needs that the ecological transition imposes – states Motokazu Nishii, Head of Meter Device Business, Smart Energy System Business Division, Electric Works Company, Panasonic Corporation – This was possible thanks to Panasonic technology in ultrasonic measurement and safety functions with experience on the market for over 35 years, and, more importantly, to the collaboration with the Hera Group. The result is NexMeter which is a unique reference in the smart gas metering market. Panasonic will continue to work with the Hera Group to create a company where people can live better and more comfortably thanks to the use of clean energy and increasingly innovative solutions”. “The NexMeter, whose first version was already extremely innovative due to its advanced sensors and safety functions, has in this new phase achieved greater component sustainability and hydrogen compatibility” – states Cristiano Nardi, Executive Chairman of the Pietro Fiorentini Group – The project’s success confirms Pietro Fiorentini’s commitment towards establishing a continuous and constructive dialogue with our partners Hera and Panasonic, in order to work together in creating technologically advanced, competitive and fully environmentally friendly solutions, all of which are very important issues for our Group.” Press Release Green Nexmeter.pdf 2020-07-02 12:15:00 Nexmeter
25/11/2021
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Hera wins waste management tender in the Bologna area

2021-11-25 The winning proposal for the Bologna area, submitted by a consortium led by the Hera Group, focuses on sustainability, innovation and creating shared value. The contract with Atersir, the regulatory agency and contracting station representing the 50 municipalities involved, will last 15 years and have a total value coming to over 1.7 billion euro. Sede Hera The Emilia-Romagna Territorial Agency for Water and Waste Services (Atersir), acting as regulatory agency and contracting station, has officially awarded the tender for urban and assimilated waste management in the Bologna area to the temporary consortium (RTI) formed by Hera S.p.A., Giacomo Brodolini Soc. Coop and Consorzio Stabile Ecobi. The figures of the tender won by the consortium led by the Hera Group The contract awarded concerns 50 municipalities in the Bologna area, including the capital city, and a total of approximately 1 million inhabitants. As requested during the tender, the temporary consortium led by the Hera Group –the current manager of the service in the same municipalities – will make significant investments to extend the ‘pay as you throw’ waste collection model to the entire area, with the aim of minimising the amount of non-sorted waste and increasing the quantity destined to be recycled. The contract, which will be signed in the coming weeks by Hera and Atersir, has a total value of over 1.7 billion euro and a timespan of 15 years. More sustainability and increasing shared value for communities Thanks to the excellent operational skills of Hera and the other companies in the contracted consortium, the area covered by the service contract will be provided with collection methods based on innovative services and equipment, strongly oriented towards sustainability, waste reduction and an increase in the amount of recycled materials. More dialogue and better environmental performance The key principles underpinning the offer presented by the consortium led by Hera are awareness-raising and the active involvement of citizens and businesses, in order to encourage a reduction in the amount of waste, especially non-sorted waste, and an increasing focus on sorted waste collection. In fact, experience in this field shows that – regardless of the collection method proposed – the environmental performance of waste is better where the community is more aware of its role. For this reason, right from the first months of the new service contract, Hera will launch progressive communication and information campaigns aimed at increasing citizen involvement, and in so doing, further improving the service quality, with a view to creating increasing shared value for local communities. Chairman Tommasi: “a confirmation of the Group’s service quality and competitiveness” “We are particularly satisfied with this tender awarded for urban and assimilated waste management in the Bologna area”, comments Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. “It ensures continuity for our services in this area, and corroborates our work in two senses. On the one hand, it confirms the quality of our operations in one of the activities in which Hera has excelled since its establishment. On the other, it highlights the Group’s competitiveness in the waste management sector, even when dealing with tenders at European-level, for which we have developed specific skills that continue to generate positive effects for the company and for local communities.” CEO Venier: “alongside Municipalities for the transition to the circular economy” “With this assignment, the 50 municipalities covered by the new service contract have all the tools they need to face the challenges of the transition towards increasingly advanced and sustainable urban waste management and, more generally, towards a truly circular economy”, states Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group. "These objectives, thanks to our support and expertise, have now become realistic and concrete. They cannot however be achieved without one fundamental element: the involvement and collaboration of people, who remain at the heart of our strategy". The 50 municipalities in the province of Bologna covered by the tender Alto Reno Terme, Baricella, Bentivoglio, Bologna, Borgo Tossignano, Budrio, Camugnano, Casalecchio di Reno, Casalfiumanese, Castel d'Aiano, Castel del Rio, Castel di Casio, Castel Guelfo di Bologna, Castel San Pietro Terme, Castello d'Argile, Castenaso, Castiglione dei Pepoli, Dozza, Firenzuola, Fontanelice, Gaggio Montano, Galliera, Granarolo dell'Emilia, Grizzana Morandi, Imola, Lizzano in Belvedere, Loiano, Malalbergo, Marradi, Marzabotto, Medicina, Minerbio, Molinella, Monghidoro, Monte San Pietro, Monterenzio, Monzuno, Mordano, Ozzano dell'Emilia, Palazzuolo sul Senio, Pianoro, Pieve di Cento, San Benedetto Val di Sambro, San Giorgio di Piano, San Lazzaro di Savena, San Pietro in Casale, Sasso Marconi, Valsamoggia, Vergato, Zola Predosa. Press release Waste tender Bologna.pdf 2020-07-02 13:11:00 Sede Hera
13/11/2021
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Dow Jones Sustainability Index: Hera once again world sustainability leader in Multi-Utility & Water

2021-11-13 DJSI 2021 For the second year in a row, the Group leads its sector giving further recognition to Hera’s strategy, which combines attention towards sustainability with creating shared value DJSI 2021 The Hera Group has once again been confirmed as the world’s best multi-utility in ESG dimensions by S&P Global that selects the companies to be included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI). S&P Global has indeed announced the new ranking - effective as of November 22, 2021 - for its authoritative international stock exchange indices, which assesses the social responsibility of listed companies, based on sustainability performances for ESG factors. For the second consecutive year, Hera has been included in both the global (Dow Jones Sustainability World Index) and European (Dow Jones Sustainability Europe Index) indices, ranked best in the sector. The Group further raised its sector benchmark, achieving an overall score of 90/100 (improving compared to the 87/100 seen in 2020), against a sector average of 39/100. The ratings achieved: 92/100 in Environment, 90/100 in Economic & Governance and 88/100 in Social, reaching the highest sector score in all the three dimensions. This recognition is fully in line with the consensus found in ESG assessments thanks to a strategy focused on sustainable value creation in the last 20 years. Hera’s stock has been recently included in the MIB ESG Index, Italy’s first blue-chip index dedicated to Environmental, Social and Governance best practices, launched by Euronext and Borsa Italiana. DJSI 2021 Press release Hera included in DJSI 2021.pdf 2020-07-02 14:00:00 DJSI 2021
11/11/2021
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Hera awarded waste management tender for the Modena area

2021-11-11 The bid for the Modena area made by a temporary consortium led by Hera won thanks to its focus on sustainability, innovation and creating shared value. The contract with Atersir, the regulatory agency and contracting station on behalf of the 32 municipalities involved, will extend over a period of 15 years and will have a value of over 880 million euro. Sede Hera The Emilia-Romagna Territorial Agency for Water and Waste Services (Atersir), the regulatory agency and contracting station, has officially awarded the tender for urban and assimilated waste management in the Modean area to the temporary group of companies (RTI) made up of Hera S.p.A., Giacomo Brodolini Soc. Coop and Consorzio Stabile Ecobi. The numbers of the tender won by the consortium led by the Hera Group The contract concerns 32 municipalities in the Modena area, including the city of Modena, covering an area with approximately 490,000 inhabitants overall. As requested during the tender, the temporary consortium led by the Hera Group – the outgoing manager of this service for the same municipalities – will make significant investments to extend methods for collection over the entire served area that allow waste to be measured precisely, with the aim of minimising the amount of non-sorted waste delivered and increasing the quantity sent for recycling. The contract, to be signed in the upcoming months by Hera and Atersir, has a total value of over 880 million euro and a fifteen-year timespan. More sustainability and increased shared value for communities Thanks to the strong operational skills possessed by Hera and the other companies forming the temporary consortium to which was awarded the contract, the geographical area included in the service contract will be provided with collection models presenting innovative services and equipment, highly oriented towards sustainability, reduced waste and an increase in recycled materials. Innovation and sustainability, in any case, are values that Hera expressly pursued since the earliest stages of the tender, whose concreteness is proven by the results in terms of the percentage of sorted collection already achieved by the municipalities managed in the Modena area, with unit-pricing collection systems. The Ecosistema Urbano report published this week by Legambiente and Sole 24 Ore, which compares Italy’s capital cities, has also certified Ferrara’s leading position in terms of the percentage of sorted waste collected, for the third year in a row. This city is served by Hera with collection systems based on unit pricing, similar to those foreseen for Modena and the other municipalities in the Modena area. More dialogue and better environmental performances The key principles underpinning the bid submitted by the consortium led by Hera consist in awareness raising and a more active involvement of citizens and businesses, in order to encourage a reduction in the overall amount of waste, especially non-sorted waste, and ever-stronger emphasis on sorted waste collection. In fact, the experience gained until now shows that – regardless of the collection model proposed – the environmental performance of waste collection is better when a community is more aware of its own role. This is why, right from the earliest months of the new service contract, Hera will launch progressive communication and information campaigns aimed at increasing citizen involvement, and in so doing, further increasing the quality of the service, with a view to creating even more shared value for local communities. Executive Chairman Tommasi: “a confirmation of service quality and of the Group’s competitiveness” “We are particularly satisfied with being awarded the tender for managing urban and assimilated waste in the Modena area, comments Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. “This will give continuity to our presence in this area, and provides confirmation of two essential facts: on the one hand, the quality of our work with one of the activities that, since its inception, have characterized Hera's excellence, and on the other, the competitiveness that the Group has reached in the waste management sector. This is the case even when dealing with European-level tenders, for which we have developed specific skills that continue to generate positive effects for the company and for local communities.” CEO Venier: “alongside the municipalities in the transition to the circular economy” “With this tender, the 32 municipalities included in the new service contract have all the tools they need to face the challenge of the transition towards increasingly advanced and sustainable urban waste management and, more generally, towards a truly circular economy”, says Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group. “These objectives, thanks to our support and expertise, have now become realistic and concrete. They could not however be achieved without one fundamental element: the involvement and collaboration of people, who remain at the heart of our strategy.” The 32 municipalities in the province of Modena covered by the tender Bastiglia, Bomporto, Castelfranco Emilia, Castelnuovo Rangone, Castelvetro di Modena, Fanano, Fiorano Modenese, Fiumalbo, Formigine, Frassinoro, Guiglia, Lama Mocogno, Maranello, Marano sul Panaro, Modena, Montecreto, Montefiorino, Montese, Palagano, Pavullo nel Frignano, Pievepelago, Polinago, Prignano, Riolunato, San Cesario sul Panaro, Sassuolo, Savignano sul Panaro, Serramazzoni, Sestola, Spilamberto, Vignola and Zocca. Risultati trimestrali Press release Modena waste management tender.pdf 2020-07-02 15:31:00 Sede Hera
10/11/2021
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Financial Results

Hera BoD approves 3Q 2021 results

2021-11-10 The Group consolidates the first nine months of the year with operating-financial indicators showing growth compared to the same period in 2020, and results exceeding the expectations set out in the Business Plan. Financial solidity, the pursuit of sustainable development and creating value for the local areas and communities served confirmed as strong points Risultati trimestrali Financial highlights Revenues at 6,424.3 million euro (+31%) Ebitda at 883.3 million euro (+9.6%) Net profit for shareholders at 308.4 million euro (+32.3%) Net financial debt at 3,303.8 million, with Net debt/Ebitda at 2.75x Operating highlights Strategy based on a mix of internal and external growth Significant contribution coming from the gas area, energy services and the waste management sector Over 3.4 million energy customers reached Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated quarterly report at 30 September 2021. The report shows improvement in the main economic indicators compared to the same period of the previous year, confirming the Group’s long track record of positive performances, its financial solidity and its commitment to sustainable development, respecting European strategies and the UN 2030 Agenda. The most significant results include an increase coming to over 77 million euro in Ebitda, mainly owing to free market activities – especially gas sales, energy services and waste treatment – whose pro-cyclical nature enabled the Group to take full advantage of the opportunities arising from the country’s economic recovery and revival initiatives, while at the same time creating value for the local areas and communities served. A sharp increase was also seen in net profits for shareholders, which in this quarter includes the effects of the tax realignment of certain goodwill items. In July, a dividend amounting to 161 million euro was paid to shareholders, corresponding to 11 cents per share, up 10% compared to the previous year. From a broader point of view, the results for the first three quarters of the year show growth not only with respect to 2020, but also compared to the results for 2019, prior to the impact of the global pandemic. The current results are higher than the expectations contained in the Business Plan to 2024: in less than two years, Hera has achieved more than half of the growth forecast for the five-year period covered by this Plan. The Group’s strategy therefore continues to prove successful, promoting both organic growth and mergers and acquisitions, and protecting results achieved from the turbulence seen in the external context. The more noteworthy changes in the scope of consolidation include three M&A transactions in the industrial waste treatment area, with the acquisition of 70% of the Friuli-based company Recycla, 31% of the company Sea, located in the Marche, and 80% of the Vallortigara Group, which operates in the Veneto region. The energy areas, instead, saw the acquisitions of Wölmann, a company operating in photovoltaic panel installation, the sales company Ecogas, in Abruzzo, and 11% of Ascotrade from the Belluno company Gsp, thus arriving at 100% control. At the same time, continued growth was seen in the Group’s energy customer base, now over 3.4 million, thanks to increases in both liberalised markets and those subject to public tenders. Lastly, as regards regulated services, the Hera Group has won the tenders called to date in the areas served, in the waste management, gas distribution and integrated water service areas. Note in particular the recent confirmation of gas distribution in the Udine 2 ATEM and, last week, in the water cycle, serving 24 municipalities in the province of Rimini, including the city of Rimini. Revenues rise to over 6.4 billion euro In the first nine months of 2021, revenues amounted to 6,424.3 million euro, up 31.0% from 4,905.9 million-euro one year earlier, with growth seen in all areas. More specifically, the energy areas felt the effects of higher revenues from trading, higher volumes of gas sold and an increase in the price of energy commodities, in addition to the energy services business, due to the activities related to the insulation incentive and energy efficiency works. Revenues from network services (both regulated and on behalf of third parties) and the waste management area also increased, due to energy production, more waste treated and an increase in plastics sold. Ebitda increases to 883.3 million euro Ebitda increased by 77.1 million, or 9.6%, over the 806.2 million seen in the first nine months of 2020, rising to 883.3 million at 30 September 2021. This increase is linked to the performance of the energy areas, mainly thanks to gas sales and energy trading, as well as energy service activities. Another decisive factor consisted in the positive results recorded in the waste management sector, particularly in the waste treatment area. Operating result grows to 470.8 million euro Operating profit rose to 470.8 million euro, compared to 414.7 million at 30 September 2020, showing a 13.5% increase (despite higher expenses for depreciation and amortisation). Financial operations at the end of 3Q 2021 amounted to 85.4 million euro, mainly due to lower income from late payment indemnities on last resort markets and higher charges for the sale of tax credits as part of ecobonus-related activities. These aspects were partially offset by the efficiencies achieved following the repurchase of part of the medium- to long-term debt, lower updating expenses and higher profits from subsidiaries and joint ventures. Pre-tax profits increased from 335.2 to 385.4 million euro (+15%). Net profit for shareholders rises to 308.4 million euro Net profit rose to 340.6 million euro, up significantly by 39.2% from 244.7 million euro in the same period during the previous year, thanks to a tax rate that settled at 26.2%, improving compared to the 27% recorded at 30 September 2020, due to the Group’s commitment to supporting substantial investments in technological, digital and environmental transformation towards Utility 4.0. The increase is also linked to the amount consisting in special items, which contributed with 56.2 million euro, as result of the tax realignment of certain goodwill items recorded in the financial statements, offset by the expenses arising from the partial repurchase, last spring, of a 700 million euro bond maturing in 2028. Net profit post minorities also increased sharply, rising to 308.4 million euro from 233.1 million euro at 30 September 2020 (+32.3%). Operating investments at 377.2 million euro and stable net financial debt In the first nine months of 2021, Hera made operating investments coming to 377.2 million euro, an increase of over 13% compared to the 333.6 million euro seen in the same period of the previous year, with an important focus on the projects, including green initiatives foreseen in the Business Plan. These investments were mainly allocated to plants, networks and infrastructures, as well as regulatory upgrading in purification and sewage and a large-scale installation of new-generation gas meters. In addition to financing these investments and paying increased dividends, the positive cash flow generation also made it possible to cover the repurchase of maturing bonds and a large portion of the M&A transactions, keeping net financial debt essentially stable at 3,303.8 million euro in the first nine months of 2021, in line with the 3,227.0 million euro seen at 31 December 2020. Hera’s financial strength – which is also clear from the assessments made by the main rating agencies: BBB+ with stable outlook from Standard & Poor’s, Baa2 from Moody’s - is also confirmed by the Net debt/Ebitda ratio, which stood at 2.75x, an improvement compared to the 2.87x seen at the end of 2020 and 2.97x at 30 September 2020. These aspects go hand in hand with the pursuit of sustainable development, as confirmed by Hera’s recent inclusion in the MIB ESG Index, Italy’s first blue-chip index dedicated to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) best practices. In October, furthermore, Hera successfully launched its first sustainability-linked bond, worth 500 million euro, gathering great interest from international investors, who subscribed with roughly four times the amount offered. This bond is part of a sustainability strategy aimed at reducing emissions and recycling plastics. At the same time, after the end of the quarter, the Group carried out a liability management transaction to repurchase nominal 350 million euro in financing maturing in the next few years, with effects that will be recorded at year-end. Gas Ebitda for the gas area – which includes natural gas distribution and sales, district heating and heat management services – rose to 333.4 million euro as at 30 September 2021, up 33.4% compared to 249.9 million euro in the same period last year. This growth, in terms of both revenues and volumes sold, was achieved thanks to the positive contribution coming from sales on traditional markets and on those subject to tenders, where Hera Comm has further consolidated its presence (with 8 lots of the last resort gas service awarded in 16 regions, 5 lots of the default gas service in 12 regions, effective as of October 2020, and 9 lots of the Consip GAS13 tender in 12 regions). These increased earnings are linked to significant rise in the energy services business, due to incentives deriving from tax bonuses and energy efficiency works, confirming the significant growth trend in this sector already recorded in the previous quarters of the year. A slight increase (+1%) was seen in the number of customers, which totalled 2 million. Furthermore, note that, from October 2021 until September 2023, Hera Comm has been awarded all lots of the default gas service tender and 6 out of 9 lots of the last resort gas service. The gas accounted for 37.7% of Group Ebitda. Water At 30 September 2021, the integrated water cycle area – which includes aqueduct, purification and sewerage services – recorded an Ebitda coming to 198.5 million, essentially unchanged from the 201.1 million euro seen in the first three quarters of 2020. This result is due to higher operating costs on networks and plants as a result of resuming activities after the lockdown, partially offset by a rise in revenues for new connections and higher other revenues. This also includes the benefits recognised by ARERA under the application of the new tariff method, linked to the significant investments made by the Group to implement measures aimed at resilience and sustainability in its plants, enabling it to continue guaranteeing citizens quality, efficiency and continuity of supply. Lastly, thanks to a bid geared towards sustainability and creating value, Hera was awarded the tender for integrated water cycle services for 18 years in 24 municipalities in the province of Rimini, including the capital city, with a contract worth approximately 1.7 billion euro. The integrated water cycle area accounted for 22.5% of Group Ebitda. Waste Ebitda for the waste management area – which includes waste collection, treatment, recovery and disposal services – rose to 218.4 million euro (+19.1%) as at 30 September 2021, compared to 183.3 million euro in the same period one year earlier. This growth was achieved thanks to the ability shown by the Hera Group – the nation’s leading operator in the sector – to make the most of the opportunities offered by this pro-cyclical business, i.e. one that is able to take advantage of the current economic recovery and the general recovery of markets after the lockdown. In fact, Hera has further augmented its outstanding set of plants with a series of transactions in the field of industrial waste treatment and environmental reclamation and restoration. The increase in earnings was caused by higher revenues linked to the increase in volumes of waste treated and electricity generation, and by the strong growth of the activities carried out by the subsidiary Aliplast, a leader in producing high-quality recycled polymers, against a significant increase in demand and in the selling price of recycled materials. In general, in the early months of 2021 as well, the Group continued to pursue all main initiatives related to the circular economy through front-line technologies and innovative structures. These include the production of renewable energy by developing the biomethane chain, including a collaboration with other companies found in the areas served. Hera has indeed signed a partnership with the company Inalca, part of the Cremonini Group, to establish a NewCo for transforming organic waste and agricultural waste into 100% renewable methane and compost. Lastly, Hera Business Solution, a turnkey multi-service offer for large companies, with integrated energy and environmental solutions all guided by sustainability, saw a further increase in its activities. The Group’s focus on protecting and reusing environmental resources was also confirmed by the increase in sorted waste collection, which stood at 64.8% in the first nine months of 2021, up slightly compared to the same period of 2020. The waste management area accounted for 24.7% of Group Ebitda. Electricity At 30 September 2021, Ebitda for the electricity area – which includes services in electricity generation, distribution and sales – amounted to 103.5 million euro, compared to 144.8 million euro in the first three quarters of the previous year. This result was mainly due to lower income from the dispatching market. Furthermore, a smaller scope of operations was seen in safeguarded markets, following the last tender awarded, in late 2020. These trends were partially contained by contributions to commercial growth in traditional markets and in new managed services, with innovative offers, value-added services and increasing investments to improve customer experience and customer segmentation. Furthermore, last June Hera Comm was awarded, through a tender, the gradual protection service for supplying electricity to SMEs in 9 Italian regions, for the period extending from 1 July 2021 to 30 June 2024. At 30 September 2021, electricity customers totalled 1.4 million, up 5.4% compared to the first three quarters of the previous year. The electricity area accounted for 11.7% of Group Ebitda. The manager responsible for drafting the company’s accounting statements, Luca Moroni, declares, pursuant to article 154-bis paragraph 2 of the TUF, that the information contained in the present press release corresponds to the documentation available and to the account books and entries. The Quarterly Financial Statement and related materials are available to the public at Company Headquarters and on the website www.gruppohera.it. Unaudited extracts from the Intermediate Financial Report at 30 September 2021 are attached Profit & Loss (m€) 30/09/2021 Inc. % 30/09/2020 Inc. % Ch. Ch. % Sales 6,242.3 4,905.9 +1,518.4 +31.0% Other operating revenues 243.6 3.8% 355.7 7.3% (112.1) (31.5%) Raw material (3,469.3) (54.0%) (2,314.9) (47.2%) +1,154.4 +49.9% Services costs (1,858.6) (28.9%) (1,696.9) (34.6%) +161.7 +9.5% Other operating expenses (54.4) (0.8%) (41.8) (0.9%) +12.6 +30.2% Personnel costs (442.0) (6.9%) (424.0) (8.6%) +18.0 +4.2% Capitalisations 39.7 0.6% 22.2 0.5% +17.5 +79.0% Ebitda 883.3 13.7% 806.2 16.4% +77.1 +9.6% Depreciation and provisions (412.5) (6.4%) (391.5) (8.0%) +21.0 +5.4% Ebit 470.8 7.3% 414.7 8.5% +56.1 +13.5% Financial inc./(exp.) (85.4) (1.3%) (79.5) (1.6%) +5.9 +7.4% Pre tax profit 385.4 6.0% 335.2 6.8% +50.2 +15.0% Taxes (101.0) (1.6%) (90.5) (1.8%) +10.5 +11.6% Net profit 284.4 4.4% 244.7 5.0% +39.7 +16.2% Special items 56.2 0.9% - 0.0% +56.2 +100.0% Net profit 340.6 5.3% 244.7 5.0% +95.9 +39.2% Attributable to: Shareholders of the Parent Company 308.4 4.8% 233.1 4.8% +75.3 +32.3% Minority shareholders 32.2 0.5% 11.6 0.2% +20.6 +177.9% Balance Sheet (m€) 30/09/2021 Inc.% 31/12/2020 Inc.% Ch. Ch. % Net fixed assets 7,146.6 104.4% 6,983.6 109.4% +163.0 +2.3% Working capital 360.0 5.3% 53.6 0.8% +306.4 +571.6% (Provisions) (658.5) (9.7%) (654.9) (10.2%) (3.6) +0.5% Net invested capital 6,848.1 100.0% 6,382.3 100.0% +465.8 +7.3% Net equity 3,544.3 51.8% 3,155.3 49.4% +389.0 +12.3% Long term net financial debt 3,490.0 51.0% 3,617.1 56.7% (127.1) (3.5%) Short term net financial debt (186.2) (2.8%) (390.1) (6.1%) +203.9 (52.3%) Net financial debts 3,303.8 48.2% 3,227.0 50.6% +76.8 +2.4% Net invested capital 6,848.1 100.0% 6,382.3 100.0% +465.8 +7.3% Risultati trimestrali Press release 3Q 2021 results.pdf 2020-07-02 13:30:00 Risultati trimestrali
05/11/2021
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Hera wins tender for the water service in Rimini

2021-11-05 The Group was awarded the tender thanks to a bid focused on sustainability and value creation. An 18-year contract worth approximately 1.7 billion euro will be signed with Atersir, the contracting authority, in the upcoming months Sede Hera The Emilia-Romagna Regional Agency for Water and Waste Services (Atersir), acting as contracting authority, has officially awarded Hera the tender for managing the integrated water service in the province of Rimini (Emilia-Romagna region), with the exception of the municipality of Maiolo. The figures of the tender won by the Hera Group The tender concerns 24 municipalities in the Rimini area, including the province’s capital, and over 160,000 thousand users, distributed along a network extending over 3,000 km. Thanks to this tender, one of the first to be called in Italy, the new water distribution service in the Rimini area will be based on sustainability and innovation, and the Hera Group, which is also the outgoing manager for the 24 municipalities, will be responsible for the service over the next 18 years. The contract, which will be signed in the upcoming months between the Group and Atersir, is worth over 1.7 billion euro. Competition that creates shared value for communities In order to maintain management of this service, in a competitive context open to the most qualified operators in the water sector, the Hera Group has drawn up a proposal capable of reconciling service efficiency, and therefore economic impact, with best practices that guarantee high safety standards. Asset management and environmental aspects will thus be monitored by using innovative technologies that have already been operationally tested. Hera is also focusing on innovation to guarantee resilience in the management of the water cycle, a service characterised by a large number of infrastructures and therefore, more than other sectors, subject to the consequences of climate change. In addition to the high service quality already guaranteed by the Group in this area, the new management will therefore make substantial investments to increase the resilience of networks and plants and create increasing shared value for local communities. 250 million in investments to increase safety and resilience The Hera Group’s plan calls for a substantial part of the approximately 250 million euro planned for investments in the Rimini area over the next 18 years to be used to prevent and limit leaks, to upgrade the network and to further increase its reliability and resilience, thus providing the best guarantee of service continuity. The investment plan also includes measures to optimise the sewage system and upgrade the purification plants, as well as solutions for the implementation of rainwater collection plans. In order to increasingly improve the efficiency of networks and plants, the use of more traditional techniques will be enhanced with digitalisation and the most advanced technologies, including artificial intelligence and big data, already used by the multi-utility in other areas, for example to optimise maintenance activities or increase energy savings in purification. The Group’s proposal also guarantees a level of service that goes significantly beyond the standards required by ARERA, the Regulatory Authority, both in terms of the contractual quality inherent in relations with the user, and in terms of technical standards. Chairman Tommasi: “from competition in public services shared value for the territory” We are particularly satisfied with the awarded tender for managing the integrated water service for the province of Rimini”, explains Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. “We have always made our outstanding know-how available to the areas in which we operate, not only in terms of safety and service management, but also environmental sustainability, all of which will be confirmed and reinforced with the start of the new management. Tenders, not only in the water cycle, represent a challenge that the Group has prepared itself to face for some time. This achievement demonstrates once again how important it is for us, in addition to providing service quality and continuity, to invest and create positive effects for local communities.” CEO Venier: “local jobs and professional skills maintained” “The spirit with which we will sign this long term contract with Atersir for the integrated water service in the 24 municipalities of the Rimini area has nothing to do with simply continuing to manage it”, says Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group. “In addition to maintaining local jobs and professional skills, we intend to create new value for Rimini and the municipalities managed.” The 24 municipalities found in the Province of Rimini involved in the tender Bellaria-Igea Marina, Casteldelci, Cattolica, Coriano, Gemmano, Misano Adriatico, Mondaino, Montecolombo Montescudo, Montefiore Conca, Montegridolfo, Morciano di Romagna, Novafeltria, Pennabilli, Poggio Torriana, Riccione, Rimini, Saludecio, San Clemente, San Giovanni in Marignano, San Leo, Sant’Agata Feltria, Santarcangelo di Romagna, Talamello and Verucchio. Press releaase Hera wins tender for the water service in Rimini.pdf 2020-07-02 08:36:00 Sede Hera
28/10/2021
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Four lots of the Consip tender go to Hera Comm

2021-10-28 The Hera Group’s sales company has been awarded the lots for the Province of Rome, Campania, Calabria and Sicily, involving roughly 39,000 supply points and an annual supply of over 3.4 TWh of electricity, worth more than 580 million euro. Sede Hera Hera Comm will supply electricity to Public Administrations in the Province of Rome, Campania, Calabria and Sicily. The Hera Group’s sales company has in fact been awarded 4 of the lots put to tender by Consip, worth over 580 million euro, meaning that Hera will serve approximately 39,000 supply points overall, providing over 3.4 TWh of energy. The agreement will be effective as of the end of the year and will have a total duration of up to 24 months, depending on the supply option chosen, with a fixed or variable price. Hera Comm won this tender thanks to its advantageous economic offer, which also includes a Green Option, with 50% of the energy supplied coming from renewable sources. The Hera Group has thus confirmed itself as a leading player on the Italian energy scene, with 3.4 million customers, the third largest among Italian sales companies. Hera Comm has a well-established relationship with Consip, this being the third consecutive year in which it has been awarded lots in tenders called by Consip, for the supply of both electricity and gas. Press release Hera Comm energy tender Public Administration.pdf 2020-07-02 14:34:00 Sede Hera
19/10/2021
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Final results of the tender offer relating to certain notes

2021-10-19 Sede Hera Following the press release dated 11 October 2021, notice is hereby given that today BNP Paribas S.A. announced the final results of the tender offer launched by it, in its capacity as offeror (the “Offeror”), on 11 October 2021 pursuant to the agreements entered into with Hera S.p.A. (the “Company”), addressed to qualified investors only and relating to (i) the €500,000,000 2.375 per cent. Notes due 4 July 2024 (ISIN: XS1084043451) (the “2024 Notes”), (ii) the Euro 400,000,000 0.875 per cent. Notes due 14 October 2026 (ISIN: XS1504194173) (the “2026 Notes”), (iii) the €500,000,000 0.875 per cent. Notes due 5 July 2027 (ISIN: XS2020608548) (the “2027 Notes”) and (iv) the €700,000,000 5.200 per cent. Fixed Rate Notes due 29 January 2028 (ISIN: XS0880764435) (the “2028 Notes” and together with the 2024 Notes, the 2026 Notes and the 2027 Notes, the “Existing Notes”) up to a nominal amount to be determined by the Offeror at its own discretion up to Euro 300,000,000, such amount being subject to the right of the Offeror to increase or decrease it in its sole and absolute discretion (the “Tender Offer”). The Existing Notes validly tendered for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer are equal to Euro 352,910,000 and namely Euro 41,088,000 in principal amount of 2024 Notes, Euro 127,468,000 in principal amount of 2026 Notes, Euro 142,841,000 in principal amount of 2027 Notes and Euro 41,513,000 in principal amount of 2028 Notes. The Offeror has announced its intention to accept for purchase all the 2024 Notes, the 2027 Notes and the 2028 Notes validly tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer and to accept for purchase the 2026 Notes for an aggregate principal amount equal to Euro 74,557,000. The payments due pursuant to the Tender Offer are expected to be made by the Offeror on 20 October 2021. Simultaneously with, but separately from, the Tender Offer, the Company will purchase, through the Offeror, a portion of the €68,000,000 3.375 per cent. Fixed Rate Notes due 22 May 2023 (ISIN: XS0935948272) issued by the Company and privately placed to a limited number of investors for an aggregate principal amount equal to Euro 46,000,000. Press release.pdf 2020-07-02 17:56:00 Sede Hera
18/10/2021
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Hera included in the new MIB ESG Index

2021-10-18 Being part of Italy’s first blue-chip index, launched today by Euronext and Borsa Italiana and dedicated to ESG best practices, gives Hera additional recognition for its focus on sustainability and creating shared value for all stakeholders Sede Hera The Hera Group has received yet another significant recognition, a reward for its way of integrating financial strategies and attention to sustainability: Hera has been included in the MIB ESG Index (Bloomberg gross return code: MIBESG), Italy’s first blue-chip index dedicated to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) best practices. Announced today by Euronext and Borsa Italiana, the MIB ESG Index combines measurements of operating performance with ESG assessments, in line with the principles of the United Nations Global Compact. Inclusion in this index is based on an analysis by Vigeo Eiris, a Moody’s ESG Solutions company, and is designed to meet growing investor and market demand for sustainable investment instruments. The creation of this index is an important step in accelerating the transition to a sustainable economy and allowing investors to fund high-impact projects and companies in Italy and Europe. The index’s methodology was designed in a collaboration with the financial community, public institutions and regulatory authorities. Its main goals include facilitating the adoption of traditional ESG investment approaches by public and private investors and gathering consensus for sustainable and responsible investments. After being included one year ago in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World and Europe, with recognition as the best multi-utility worldwide by S&P Global, with today's inclusion in the MIB ESG Index, Hera’s successful corporate strategy has been further confirmed. The combination of growth in results and sustainability, alongside creating value for all stakeholders, defines the path taken by Hera ever since it was founded, 20 years ago. The Group’s Business Plans themselves highlight its various sustainability objectives – circularity, decarbonisation, risk management – to 2024 and 2030. Broken down by business area, these goals are based on investments that increase asset resilience, innovation, digitalisation, artificial intelligence and big data. More specifically, the Hera Group’s greenhouse gas emission reduction target is one of the most ambitious among Italian companies: 37% less by 2030 compared to 2019, as certified by the prestigious international network Science Based Target initiative (SBTi). Hera aims in particular to meet the “Well below 2°C” objective, conceived to limit the increase in global temperature to significantly less than 2°C compared to pre-industrial data, in line with the path set out by the Paris Climate Agreement. In addition to steadily improving its operating and financial results, Hera’s focus on ESG factors is accompanied by its stable governance, unique in the sector and rewarded this year with the highest ranking in Italy in the Integrated Governance Index, compiled by ETicaNews. A pioneer in the field of sustainable finance since it launched Italy’s first green bond in 2014, Hera successfully issued a sustainability-linked bond amounting to 500 million euro only a few days ago. A high level of interest was shown by international investors, whose subscriptions came to roughly four times the amount offered. This non-convertible bond’s issuance is linked to targets in reducing emissions and recycling plastics. Two years ago, Hera was also the first company in Italy to launch a sustainable revolving credit line, introducing a bonus mechanism linked to achieving specific environmental, social and governance (ESG) objectives. Green and, more generally, ESG financial instruments represent a fundamental lever with which Hera creates value and supports its commitment to increasingly regenerative and resilient development. Press release Hera included in the new MIB ESG Index.pdf 2020-07-02 16:27:00 Sede Hera
13/10/2021
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Hera successfully launches its first sustainability-linked bond

2021-10-13 Strong interest shown by international investors towards the 500 million euro, 12-and-a-half-year bond. The issue is part of a strategy aimed at sustainability, intended to reduce emissions and recycle plastics. The subscriptions received totalled around two billion euro, four times the amount offered Sede Hera The Hera Group – a pioneer in sustainable finance in Italy – has successfully launched its first sustainability-linked bond, worth 500 million euro. This non-convertible bond attracted a great deal of interest from international investors, who made subscriptions coming to four times the amount offered. The issue is part of a strategy aimed at sustainability, intended to reduce emissions and recycle plastics. One of the first companies in Italy to issue a sustainability-linked bond, Hera continues to act as a point of reference for ESG finance nationwide, with innovative instruments capable not only of supporting its commitment to sustainable development but also attracting growing attention on the market. Hera – it is worth recalling – was the first company in Italy to issue a green bond, in 2014, followed by a second green bond five years later, as well as the first ESG-linked revolving credit line, in 2018. Hera’s first sustainability-linked bond follows up on the publication, last 6 October, of its Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework (SLFF), with which the Group further strengthened the integration between its financial strategies and its attention to sustainability, outlining the metrics applicable to any financial instrument. The features of Hera’s sustainability-linked bond Hera’s first sustainability-linked bond, launched as part of the Euro Medium-Term Notes programme (last updated on 7 October) and reserved for qualified investors, amounts to a total of 500 million euro, repayable in 12 and a half years. The transaction saw significant participation coming from international investors (France, Germany, Netherland and United Kingdom), most of whom specialised in sustainable finance products. The strong demand, with subscriptions coming to around two billion euros, four times the offer, and the quality of the orders received, allowed the price to be set at an excellent level. An annual fixed rate coupon of 1.0% will be paid, while the yield at the time of issue is 1.077%. As of the interest payment date of 2032, a possible step-up (interest rate increase) has been included, should the Group fail to meet the targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, in tonnes of CO2 (rate increase of 0.20%), and the quantity of recycled plastic, in thousand tonnes (rate increase of 0.15%). The new issue, whose settlement date has been set for 25 October 2021, will be listed, as of the issue date, on the regulated market of Euronext Dublin, on the regulated market of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and, at a later moment, on Borsa Italiana’s ExtraMOT PRO multilateral trading facility. This sustainability-linked bond is also expected to be assigned a rating in line with Hera’s (Baa2 with stable outlook for Moody’s and BBB+ with stable outlook for Standard & Poor’s). Interventions aimed at reducing emissions and recycling plastics The sustainability-linked bond is part of the Hera Group’s strategy aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the amount of plastic recycled. These activities have already been launched or are included in the Business Plan, and represent Hera’s commitment to achieving the objectives on the UN 2030 Agenda. The bond is linked, as mentioned above, to meeting the sustainability targets contained in the Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework, with respect to which intermediate Sustainability Performance Targets (SPTs) have also been defined, which will be reported annually for the purpose of transparency. More specifically, the Hera Group aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37% within 2030 (compared to 2019), thanks to both the concrete actions taken within the Group and the involvement of suppliers and customers in electricity and gas sales. This is one of the most ambitious targets for a company in Italy, validated by the prestigious international network Science Based Target initiative (SBTi). As regards the second target, the Group aims to increase its amount of recycled plastic by 150% by 2030 (compared to 2017), thanks to factors including an increased plant capacity and an extension of the scope of action to include the recovery of rigid plastics. Hera is already a leader in this area, thanks to its subsidiary Aliplast, and is the only Italian multi-utility to have signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “New Plastics Economy Global Commitment”. “Our first sustainability-linked bond provides further confirmation of Hera’s commitment to sustainable development, with a focus on carbon neutrality and the circular economy, thanks to ESG financial strategies” states Stefano Venier, CEO of Hera Group “For some time, we have been committed to actions aimed at reducing emissions and recycling plastics, thus respecting our Business Plan and strategies for the energy and environmental transition. These issues are particularly relevant for us, considering the very nature of the businesses in which we operate, and we can make a real difference by responding to the many challenges we are currently facing, first and foremost climate change, and contributing to achieving the goals on the 2030 Agenda. Thanks to this new bond issued, we will be able to give further impetus to our activities in these areas.” The partners in the operation Hera’s sustainability-linked bond issue was coordinated and placed by BNP Paribas, Credit Agricole CIB, IMI-Intesa Sanpaolo, Mediobanca, Santander and UniCredit. The law firm Legance Avvocati Associati assisted Hera, while Linklaters supported the placing banks. Press release sustainability linked bond launch.pdf 2020-07-02 18:23:00 Sede Hera
11/10/2021
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The BoD of Hera S.p.A. authorises the issue of new notes and the repurchase of certain notes

2021-10-11 Sede Hera The Board of Directors of HERA S.p.A. (the “Company”) has authorised the issue of new senior non-convertible notes, under its Euro Medium Term Notes Programme updated on 7 October 2021, up to an aggregate principal amount of Euro 500,000,000, to be placed with qualified investors only (the “Notes”), granting to the Chief Executive Officer the powers to decide on, and give effective execution to, the issue of the Notes, subject to market conditions. The Notes will be issued in the form of “Sustainability-linked bond” pursuant to the “Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework” published by the Company on 6 October 2021. Furthermore, pursuant to the agreements entered into today with the Company, BNP Paribas S.A., in its capacity as offeror (the “Offeror”), is in the process of announcing a cash tender offer addressed to qualified investors only and relating to (i) the €500,000,000 2.375 per cent. Notes due 4 July 2024 (of which €329,390,000 is outstanding as at the date of this announcement) (ISIN: XS1084043451) (the “2024 Notes”), (ii) the Euro 400,000,000 0.875 per cent. Notes due 14 October 2026 (ISIN: XS1504194173) (the “2026 Notes”), (iii) the €500,000,000 0.875 per cent. Notes due 5 July 2027 (ISIN: XS2020608548) (the “2027 Notes”) and (iv) the €700,000,000 5.200 per cent. Fixed Rate Notes due 29 January 2028 (of which €640,530,000 is outstanding as at the date of this announcemement) (ISIN: XS0880764435) (the “2028 Notes” and together with the 2024 Notes, the 2026 Notes and the 2027 Notes, the “Existing Notes”), up to a nominal amount to be determined by the Offeror at its own discretion up to Euro 300,000,000, such amount being subject to the right of the Offeror to increase or decrease it in its sole and absolute discretion (the “Tender Offer”). The purpose of the above transaction is mainly to manage the Company’s liabilities and extend its debt maturity profile. The Tender Offer, whose terms and conditions are set forth in the tender offer memorandum dated 11 October 2021 and available to the noteholders of the Existing Notes (the “Tender Offer Memorandum”), is, inter alia, subject to (i) the pricing of the Notes satisfactory to the Company, (ii) the signing of a subscription agreement for the purchase of the Notes (the “Subscription Agreement”) and (iii) such Subscription Agreement remaining in full force and effect as at the settlement date of the Tender Offer. The Offeror is not under any obligation to accept for purchase any Existing Notes tendered pursuant to the Tender Offer. The acceptance for purchase by the Offeror of Existing Notes is at the sole discretion of the Offeror and tenders may be rejected by the Offeror, in whole or in part, for any reason. The table below sets forth the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer. Notes Call date ISIN Outstanding Principal Amount Benchmark Purchase Spread Amount subject to the Offers / Final-Acceptance Amount €500,000,000 2.375 per cent. Notes due 4 July 2024 (the “2024 Notes”) N/A XS1084043451 €329.390.000 2024 Notes Interpolated Mid-Swap Rate 5 bps Subject as set out in the Tender Offer Memorandum up to a total aggregate principal amount of all Series of Notes validly tendered and accepted for purchase of €300,000,000 such amount being subject to the right of the Offeror to increase or decrease it in its sole and absolute discretion €400,000,000 0.875 per cent. Notes due 14 October 2026 (the “2026 Notes”) N/A XS1504194173 €400.000.000 2026 Notes Interpolated Mid-Swap Rate 5 bps €500,000,000 0.875 per cent. Notes due 5 July 2027 (the “2027 Notes”) 5 April 2027 (the "First Call Date of the 2027 Notes") XS2020608548 €500.000.000 2027 Notes Interpolated Mid-Swap Rate 10 bps1 €700,000,000 5.200 per cent. Notes due 29 January 2028 (the “2028 Notes”) N/A XS0880764435 €640.530.000 2028 Notes Interpolated Mid-Swap Rate 5 bps 1For information purposes only, the purchase price for the 2027 Notes will be based on the First Call Date of the 2027 Notes. If the aggregate principal amount of the Existing Notes validly tendered for purchase pursuant to the Tender Offer is greater than the amount of the Existing Notes that the Offeror intends to purchase, the relevant tenders will be accepted on a pro rata basis. The Tender Offer, which starts today, will expire on 18 October 2021, subject to the right of the Offeror to extend, re-open, amend and/or terminate it. The settlement date for the Tender Offer is expected to fall on 20 October 2021. Further information on the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer are set out in the Tender Offer Memorandum. Simultaneously with, but separately from, the Tender Offer, the Company may also consider, at its sole discretion, to purchase, through the Offeror, in whole or in part, the €68,000,000 3.375 per cent. Fixed Rate Notes due 22 May 2023 (ISIN: XS0935948272) issued by the Company and privately placed to a limited number of investors. This notice does not constitute an invitation to participate in the Tender Offer in any jurisdiction in which, or to any person to whom, it is unlawful to make such invitation or for there to be such participation under applicable securities laws and regulations. This notice does not constitute an offer of securities for sale or a solicitation of an offer to purchase or subscribe securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is not authorised or to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation. The distribution of this notice or the Tender Offer Memorandum in certain jurisdictions may be restricted by law and regulations. Persons into whose possession this notice comes are required to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions. Specific restrictions are included in the Tender Offer Memorandum. Press release Launch of new issue.pdf 2020-07-02 09:56:00 Sede Hera
06/10/2021
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Communication of the overall amount of voting rights

(drafted pursuant to article 85-bis, paragraph 4-bis, of Consob Regulation 11971 / 14 May 1999)
06/10/2021
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Hera: sustainable finance increasingly at the heart of corporate strategies

2021-10-06 Hera is among the first companies in Italy to publish its Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework. An important point of reference also for issuing bonds in the future, its includes objectives linked to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and plastic recycling, in line with the Group’s Business Plan and strategies for energy and environmental transition The Hera Group – which pioneered sustainable finance in 2014, when it issued the first green bond in Italy – has further strengthened its integration between financial strategy and attention towards sustainability, with a focus on carbon neutrality and circular economy projects. The Group has in fact published – among the first companies in Italy to do so – its Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework (SLFF), which sets out the guidelines of its commitment to sustainable finance. This document outlines the metrics applicable to any financial instrument, and in particular provides a reference model for future bonds linked to reducing emissions and encouraging plastic recycling. More specifically, the Hera Group has introduced two key indicators in its SLFF, in line with the strategies outlined in the Business Plan for energy and environmental transition, and representative of Hera’s commitment to achieving the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda. The first concerns reducing greenhouse gas emissions: Hera aims to lower these emissions by 37% within 2030 (compared to 2019), thanks to both concrete interventions within the company and the involvement of suppliers and customers in electricity and gas sales. This is one of the most ambitious targets defined by a company in Italy, validated by the prestigious international network Science Based Target initiative (SBTi). The second is linked to the quantity of plastics recycled by the Group, an area in which it already shows leadership, through its subsidiary Aliplast. The only Italian multi-utility to have signed the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s “New Plastics Economy Global Commitment”, it will extend its commitment in this sector, through means including increasing its plant capacity and extending its range of action to the recovery of rigid plastics. The goal is to increase the amount of plastic recycled by 150% within 2030 (compared to 2017). In the spirit of transparency, which has always been one of Hera’s hallmarks, intermediate Sustainability Performance Targets (SPTs) have also been defined with respect to the 2030 objectives, which will be reported annually. The Hera Group’s published SLFF now stands alongside its Green Financing Framework (GFF) – adopted by the company in 2019 – and responds to the growing attention shown by international investors towards sustainable financial instruments. This is an area in which Hera has always invested: after issuing the first green bond in Italy in 2014, the Group in fact offered a second “green” bond in 2019 and, in 2018, was the first company to launch an ESG-linked revolving credit line in this country. “With the Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework, we have consolidated the link between our financial strategies and the attention to sustainability which has always characterised us, for reasons including the very nature of the businesses we manage”, states Luca Moroni, Group Manager of Administration, Finance and Control. “Green financial instruments and, more generally, ESG criteria are in fact a fundamental lever to create value and support our commitment to an increasingly regenerative and resilient development. In particular, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and recycling plastics are particularly relevant areas for us, where we want to and can make a real difference in order to respond to the many challenges we are currently facing, starting with climate change, and contribute to meeting the goals on the 2030 Agenda”. Sustainalytics, one of the leading ESG rating agencies, has issued a Second Party Opinion certifying the Hera Group’s Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework’s consistency with the main international reference standards, first and foremost the International Capital Market Association’s 2020 Sustainability-Linked Bond Principles. In structuring its SLFF, the Group was supported by BNP Paribas, UniCredit and Mediobanca. Press Release Sustainable Linked Financing Framework.pdf 2020-07-02 09:54 Communication of the overall amount of voting rights
29/09/2021
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Hera among the world’s top companies for diversity and inclusion

2021-09-29 In the international standing provided by Refinitiv’s 2021 “Diversity & Inclusion Index”, the Group ranks 42nd globally, second overall among multi-utilities and third in Italy. Policies promoting diversity, inclusion and people development are increasingly central for investors. Hera has been confirmed among the listed companies most committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and people development worldwide. This emerges from the 2021 edition of the “Diversity & Inclusion Index” published by Refinitiv, which examined approximately 11,000 companies globally and awarded the Hera Group with 42nd place in the world ranking, 2nd best multi-utility in the world and 3rd best among Italian companies. The “Diversity & Inclusion Index” was designed and created by the international financial information giant Refinitiv and analyses the performance of companies on the basis of a wide set of sustainability KPIs. It provides one of the main references to investors who look favourably at companies adopting policies oriented towards Diversity & Inclusion (D&I). These issues are becoming increasingly important worldwide, alongside a growing awareness on the part of companies themselves of the benefits linked to ESG factors from an economic and social point of view, in terms of sustainability and wellbeing. For Hera, this offers further confirmation of the attention the Group has always paid to these issues, focusing on the wellbeing and development of its over 9,000 employees, promoting an inclusive culture both inside and outside the company. The Group was a pioneer in this area, signing the Charter for Equal Opportunities and Equality on the Workplace in 2009 and introducing the position of Diversity Manager in 2011, to promote diversity, equal opportunities and equality on the workplace. One outstanding example of the Group’s personnel policies is its corporate welfare plan, which supports employees and their families, with 4.5 million in services used in 2020 alone. Hera also invests in developing personalised internal career paths, with 32.6% of women in positions of responsibility and, more generally, a 26.7% share of female staff, above the national average for the sector (2020 figures). Investment in training is also crucial, with an average of approximately 26 hours per capita and activities involving 95% of employees last year. Press release Hera Group on 2021 Diversity & Inclusion Index.pdf 2020-07-02 10:58 Communication of the overall amount of voting rights
20/09/2021
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AcegasApsAmga wins the gas tender for ATEM Udine 2

2021-09-20 The multi-utility, 100% controlled by the Hera Group, won with a bid focused on sustainability and creating value. In the coming months a 12-year contract will be signed with the Municipality of Udine as contracting body. The Municipality of Udine, acting as contracting body, has officially awarded to AcegasApsAmga, a 100% subsidiary of the Hera Group, the tender for managing the natural gas distribution service in the Udine 2 Ambito Territoriale Minimo (ATEM). The details of the tender won by AcegasApsAmga The Udine 2 ATEM comprises 18 municipalities (including Udine) and over 90 thousand users, with a network stretching over 1,200 km. Since the tender was awarded to the Hera Group, the new gas distribution network in Udine will be characterized by sustainability and the energy transition, and AcegasApsAmga, already the outgoing operator in 13 of the 18 municipalities, will be responsible for the service for the next 12 years. The contract, which will be signed in the coming months between the multi-utility and the Municipality of Udine, is worth approximately 115 million euro. A call for tenders generating shared value for communities AcegasApsAmga, in order to maintain its management of this service, while competing against some of the most qualified national gas distribution operators, developed a proposal that reconciled management efficiency, hence economic impact, with state-of-the-art safety standards, asset management solutions and environmental considerations. This proposal, supported by the know-how of the Hera Group, manifested as a management capable of bringing shared value to the community in terms of service quality, protection from adverse events, economic benefits and environmental advantages. 80 million in investments to further improve security and resilience The AcegasApsAmga project expects a substantial portion of the approximately 80 million euros planned for investments in gas distribution over the next 12 years will be used to prevent failures, upgrade the network and further increase its reliability and resilience, thus guaranteeing the utmost service continuity.In the event of supply failure coming from one direction, for example, a properly meshed network can be counter-supplied by other pipelines. The investment package also includes a replacement of the current gas meters with “Nexmeters”, the latest generation of meters engineered and developed by the Hera Group, provided with cutting-edge functions that guarantee high safety standards even during emergency situations such as earthquakes. All the service levels guaranteed to date will furthermore be maintained, levels that already significantly exceed the standards set by the Regulatory Authority ARERA. This includes the average response time of emergency services, within 60 minutes of the call in 99% of cases, as well as 5 days as the maximum time for carrying out basic work on the network. Or again, the commitment to ensuring that 100% of gas networks are inspected every year, in order to detect any leaks. For some time now, indeed, the investment rationale adopted by AcegasApsAmga has gone from an emergency approach (interventions following significant malfunctions) to a predictive one (interventions planned according to potential fragile points detected in the network). With these interventions, it will be possible to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the new area management (ATEM Udine 2), overcoming the territorial boundaries traditionally associated with municipal management. "I believe - is the comment of Pietro Fontanini, the Mayor of Udine - that, with the effort to bring together themes like safety, quality of service and environmental sustainability, thus creating an added value for the entire community, AcegasApsAmga highlights a new strategy in gas distribution and, at the same time, the standard to which all operators will have to comply in the near future. As Mayor of Udine, I consider this tender perfectly coherent to the overall context of the efforts that our city is making toward the respect of the environment." Chairman Tommasi: “competition in public services leads to shared value for local areas” “We are particularly pleased with the victory in the gas tender in ATEM Udine 2”, explains Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group and Chairman of AcegasApsAmga. “AcegasApsAmga’s bid made available to the territory the best of Hera Group’s know-how, not only in terms of safety and service management, but also in terms of environmental sustainability, which will be one of the distinguishing points of the new management. This challenge, of calls for tenders, is one that the Hera Group has long been equipped to deal with, not only in the field of energy distribution, and these results prove yet again that for us, in addition to service quality and continuity, it is important to invest and generate positive repercussions for the areas we serve.” CEO Gasparetto: “local jobs and professionalism preserved” “The spirit with which we sign the new gas distribution contract in the Udine area will not be that of a company simply looking to continue managing a service”, states Roberto Gasparetto, CEO of AcegasApsAmga. “Rather, we will work towards a new beginning, with the desire to add new value to Udine and the surrounding municipalities. In this sense, we also feel that we have kept faith with one of the industrial rationales that led, in 2014, to the aggregation of Amga in what was then AcegasAps and hence the Hera Group: to maintain the management of gas distribution in the area, preserving local jobs and professionalism.” Press release AcegasApsAmga wins the gas tender for ATEM Udine 2.pdf 2020-07-02 13:21 Communication of the overall amount of voting rights

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