Hera and INALCA (Cremonini Group) together to produce biomethane
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Hera and INALCA (Cremonini Group) together to produce biomethane
The two companies have partnered to form a NewCo for transforming organic waste and agro-food wastewater into 100% renewable methane and compost, using a plant equipped with the most efficient technologies and in line with circular economy principles. A 28 million Euro investment has been allocated.
Hera Group's subsidiary Herambiente, the national leader in the waste management sector, and the company INALCA (Cremonini Group), leader in meat production and food distribution, signed a partnership agreement to set up the NewCo BIORG for the production of biomethane, a 100% renewable fuel, and compost from the sorted-waste collection of organic and food waste.
Through an investment of approximately 28 million Euro, a site owned by Herambiente in Spilamberto, in the Modena area, will be renovated using the best available technologies. The biomethane production plant will be operational by 2022.
After the pioneering experience in Sant’Agata Bolognese (BO) launched in 2018, the Hera Group is thus continuing to develop its biomethane supply chain, with the aim of producing more than 15.5 million cubic metres per year by 2024, more than doubling the current volume.
The partnership will generate significant environmental benefits, including for the local area
In particular, in line with the Group’s emphasis on all aspects of environmental sustainability, the Spilamberto plant will not require using new land. The natural gas will be generated by the anaerobic digestion of organic waste from the Hera Group's sorted waste collection and waste from the processing of the agro-food industry, including the meat production cycle of INALCA, a company controlled by the Cremonini Group. When fully operational, production is expected to be 3.7 million cubic metres of biomethane per year, which will be injected into the gas network and returned to the local area for automotive use.
The resulting environmental benefits are significant: each year approximately 3,000 TOE (tons of oil equivalent) of fossil fuel will be saved and approximately 7,000 tons of atmospheric CO2 emissions will be avoid.
The operation will also enable the recovery of materials as well as energy. Instead of being disposed of, the waste resulting from the anaerobic digestion process, technically called solid digestate, will be further recovered, transferring it to the composting plant in Nonantola (MO) - currently owned by the Cremonini Group and to be transferred to BIORG - to produce approximately 18,000 tons of compost per year, which may be used as a biofertiliser in agriculture.
Thanks to this NewCo, therefore, the Group will be able to make tangible contributions to the local-area circular economy in keeping with the guidelines of the recent PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) which promotes and supports the construction of new facilities for the production of biofuels.
“The Hera Group has always been at the forefront in promoting environmental sustainability and the circular economy: all our projects go in this direction, while at the same time fostering innovation and the growth both of the company and the areas in which we operate” - states Andrea Ramonda, CEO of Herambiente. “Regarding the development of the biomethane chain in particular, our agreement with a first-class partner such as INALCA represents a further step forward for us after having established the first plant ever built in Italy by a multi-utility to produce biomethane on an industrial scale, the one in Sant’Agata Bolognese. Thanks to the know-how gained through this facility, we are always aiming at new initiatives for a circular economy transition, in line with our Strategic Plan up to 2024”.
“This agreement consolidates and strengthens INALCA’s integrated and sustainable production model," the company’s CEO Luigi Scordamaglia explained. “In fact, the new plant allows the processing waste from our production activities to be fully exploited, confirming INALCA’s ‘zero waste’ commitment. In addition, an effective industrial synergy is achieved, with the production of biomethane and composting in two perfectly complementary plants. For this reason, this agreement with a company with know-how and state-of-the-art technologies such as Hera proves that only true innovation can generate the competitive sustainability that reduces impact on the environment while at the same time generating higher added value for the entire livestock sector”.
The Hera Group is one of the largest Italian multi-utilities and operates in the waste-management, energy and water sectors, with over 9,000 employees who are committed every day to meeting the multiple needs of approximately 5 million citizens located mainly in Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Marche, Tuscany and Abruzzo. Listed since 2003, it joined the FTSE MIB on 18 March 2019 and the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World and Europe, on 23 November 2020. Its subsidiary Herambiente is the leading national operator in the waste management sector, with approximately 90 state-of-the-art plants that treat all types of waste. For additional information: https://eng.gruppohera.it; http://ha.gruppohera.it/?lang=2
INALCA S.p.A. is a Cremonini Group's company, European leader in the production of beef and processed meat products, cured meats, bacon and snacks (with the brands Inalca, Montana, Manzotin, Italia Alimentari, Fiorani and Ibis), and in the international distribution of top-quality food products (Inalca Food & Beverage). The company, which controls the entire production chain from breeding to distribution and is jointly controlled by the Italian state through Cdp Equity (Cassa Depositi & Prestiti Group), recorded revenues of EUR 2,121.5 million € in 2020, 30% of which from exports. Its industrial structure consists of 21 production plants (16 of which are in Italy and 5 abroad) and 26 logistical distribution platforms. It includes 9 farms (7 of which are in Italy and 2 abroad) and more than 100 breeding farms, for a total of 180,000 animals raised annually.
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The multi-utility tops the ranking, marking its sixth consecutive year on the podium, the only Italian company to achieve this result. The recognition rewards the credibility and consistency with which the Group integrates ESG factors into its strategy, governance and corporate culture.
Hera Group ranked first in the 2026 ESG Identity Corporate Index, developed by ET.Group to measure the extent to which ESG factors are integrated into companies’ strategies and decision-making processes. The results of the eleventh edition were presented today in Milan at the ESG Business Conference.
The Group’s growth, together with the progressive evolution and increasing maturity of its ESG model, has gone hand in hand with continuous advances in governance, enabling the multi-utility to rank among the Top 10 for 9 consecutive years and on the podium for six years in a row.
A more selective assessment focused on ESG credibilityThe recognition is even more significant as it is the outcome of a rigorous assessment process carried out against a benchmark that continues to rise. The 2026 edition included a record 109 companies, all demonstrating increasingly advanced levels of ESG maturity.
The assessment itself has also become more demanding, shifting the focus from disclosure alone to companies’ ability to demonstrate the effective integration of ESG factors into strategy, decision-making processes and corporate culture. The analysis centres on the development of a robust and coherent ESG strategy geared towards value creation, transparent reporting of results, and the ability to anticipate and manage risks.
For Hera Group, particular emphasis was placed on:
- governance as an enabler, supported by the active involvement of dedicated governance bodies;
- the integration of ESG targets into remuneration policies and long-term strategies;
- the ability to foster a cross-functional ESG culture involving all business functions and the entire value chain.
Hera Group builds its ESG narrative on its strategy, its commitments and its ability to translate them into tangible results. Over more than twenty years, the multi-utility has combined sustained economic growth with the evolution of its governance towards increasingly demanding targets, clear accountability and measurable performance. The credibility of the Group’s commitments rests on a consistent track record of delivery, as demonstrated by significant investments, completed projects and reported impacts. The same rigour underpins investment in people development through skills, inclusion and professional growth, as well as incentive systems that embed sustainability targets.
For Hera Group, ESG is therefore the practical framework through which the company governs, grows and creates value over time.