Navigation


Alert Web

HeraAssetPublisherFilterComuneSelector

Choose the municipality

Ci dispiace, il servizio non è attivo nel tuo comune.
Esplora i servizi attivi nel tuo comune:
Inserisci un comune con il servizio di "Ambiente" oppure vai all'Homepage

Hera Board of Directors approves 3Q 2022 results

[TESTATA] Comunicati Stampa

Hera Custom Facet Publish Date

Category Facet

category
Category Facet

Custom Facet

ddmStructureKey
Custom Facet

nota sotto la ricerca

To search for exact matches, insert the phrase in quotes (eg. "board of directors")

Seleziona il tuo comune

HeraAssetPublisherFilterComuneSelector

Choose the municipality

Ci dispiace, il servizio non è attivo nel tuo comune.
Esplora i servizi attivi nel tuo comune:
Inserisci un comune con il servizio di "Ambiente" oppure vai all'Homepage

Asset Publisher

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

09/11/2022
Hera Board of Directors approves 3Q 2022 results

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.
 

Online from 09 November 2022 at 14:01:00

Search Results

Press releases
06/04/2021
Price sensitive
Shareholders’ meeting

Publication of the draft Separate and consolidated financial statements as at 31/12/2020, the Sustainability report – consolidated non-financial statement and Shareholders meeting documentation

2021-04-06 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 www.gruppohera.it and on the authorised storage platform 1INFO (www.1Info.it): <>folder containing the draft Separate and consolidated financial statements at 31/12/2020; Sustainability report – consolidated non-financial statement drafted pursuant to L. Decree 254/2016. In the same way, the Group’s Report on the remuneration policy and fees paid and the 2020 Corporate Governance Report are also available. Press release Financial Statements DNF Y20.pdf 2018-11-06 18:33:00 sede_Gruppo110.1534760363.jpg sede_Gruppo110.1534760363.jpg
Press releases
26/03/2021
Shareholders’ meeting
Price sensitive

Publication of documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting to be held on 28 April 2021

2021-03-26 Kindly note that the following documentation, pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting convened for 28 April 2021, is available to the public at the Company headquarters, on the authorised storage website 1INFO (www.1Info.it) and on Hera Group’s website (https://eng.gruppohera.it/group_eng/corporate-governance/shareholders-meetings) Hera S.p.A. Board of Directors’ Explanatory Report regarding item 1 on the Agenda – Extraordinary session Hera S.p.A. Board of Directors’ Explanatory Report regarding item 2 on the Agenda – Extraordinary session Hera S.p.A. Board of Directors’ Explanatory Report regarding item 2 on the Agenda – Ordinary session Hera S.p.A. Board of Directors’ Explanatory Report regarding item 3 on the Agenda – Ordinary session Hera S.p.A. Board of Directors’ Explanatory Report regarding item 4 on the Agenda – Ordinary session Hera S.p.A. Board of Directors’ Explanatory Report regarding item 5 on the Agenda – Ordinary session Press release Publication of documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting of 28 April 2021.pdf 2019-03-28 09:17:00 110x150_heraspa.1475082913.jpg 110x150_heraspa.1475082913.jpg
Press releases
24/03/2021
Price sensitive
Financial Results
Hera Spa

Hera Group approves results at 31/12/2020

2021-03-24 Results as at 31 December 2020 The year ended positively, despite the nationwide impact coming from the Coronavirus emergency, during which Hera stood by its stakeholders and provided support. Thanks to its solid, efficient and sustainable multi-business strategy, Hera thus continued to grow and create value for shareholders and local communities. Owing to a good cash generation, the proposed dividend was revised upwards, now set at 11 cents per share Il Gruppo Hera approva i risultati al 31/12/2020 /documents/1514726/7351398/Economic+data+Y2020.xls/3a392394-7380-b819-e7cc-ca7b723ae937?t=1617192710757 /group_eng/investor-relations/results-and-presentations/interactive-data Financial data as at 31 December 2020 Interactive data Financial highlights Revenues at 7,079.0‬ million euro (+2.4%) Ebitda at 1,123.0 million euro (+3.5%) Net profits for Shareholders at 302.7 million euro (+0.6%) Net debt improves to 3,227.0 million euro, with net debt/Ebitda ratio falling to 2.87x Proposed dividend increases to 11 cents per share (+10%) Operating highlights Positive results come from both internal and external growth Good contribution towards growth from energy areas in particular, including the Ascopiave partnership Improvement in all sustainability indicators, with shared value Ebitda increasing to 420.0 million euro (+7.2%) Today, the Hera Group’s Board of Directors, chaired by Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, unanimously approved the consolidated economic results at 31 December 2020 and the Report on remuneration policies and compensation paid, along with the Sustainability report. 18 years of uninterrupted growth, thanks to good operating, financial and fiscal management The Hera Group closed the 2020 financial year positively, as well as in all quarters, even during a particularly difficult year on account of the Coronavirus emergency. Thanks to its solid and efficient multi-business model, and good operating, financial and fiscal management, Hera succeeded in maintaining growth in its results while at the same time supporting its stakeholders. Even during the lockdown, indeed, Hera guaranteed continuity, safety, quality and efficiency in all services and also provided help not only for its own employees but also its customers, suppliers and local communities. This consisted first in allowing customers to pay with delays or by instalments and offering reverse factoring to small and medium businesses, and later participating in specific solidarity initiatives across the areas served. These initiatives were appreciated by customers, as appears in the recent customer satisfaction poll which, despite the difficult external context, confirmed a high customer satisfaction rate (73/100), with approval of the management and services provided during the emergency coming to 85/100. More generally speaking, the Hera Group succeeded in continuing along the path of uninterrupted growth seen since its establishment in 2002, once again leveraging its own strategy: a balanced mix of internal and external growth, with significant economies of scale and higher synergies than expected. All of this while continuously striving to create value for its stakeholders, respecting the directions set out by the new Business Plan to 2024, which aims at accompanying all areas served in a recovery that respects European strategies and the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda. Revenues at over 7 billion, up 2.4% The Hera Group’s 2020 revenues rose to 7,079 million euro, up 166.2 million (+2.4% compared to the 6,912.8 million seen in 2019), thanks above all to the energy sector and in particular the change in scope of operations caused by the exceptional Ascopiave transaction which, through EstEnergy, led to the creation of the foremost energy operator in North-Eastern Italy. Growth in the heat management business also contributed to this result, with interventions linked to incentives for work on facades and energy efficiency. Ebitda increases, reaching 1,123.0 million (+3.5%) Group Ebitda rose to 1,123.0 million euro (+3.5%), up 37.9 million compared to the 1,085.1 million euro seen in 2019, with contributions mainly coming from external growth, in addition to internal growth. The businesses that played the greatest role in this increase were electricity and gas, thanks in particular to the Ascopiave transaction, but the water cycle and the other services in which Hera operates also made a positive contribution. The extraordinary efforts deployed by Hera to face the health emergency allowed the impact on Ebitda to be contained within the limits foreseen last year at the beginning of the pandemic, thanks in particular to all the support measures introduced. Operating results grow to 551.3 million (+1.6%) Net operating results also increased, coming to 551.3 million euro, up 8.8 million (+1.6% compared to the 542.5 million seen in 2019), despite the higher amortisation mainly linked to changes in the scope of operations. Pre-tax profits reflected the higher imputed costs involved in the Ascopiave put option, in addition to lower profits from joint ventures, which felt the effects of the health emergency. These factors were partially offset by efficiencies in the financial structure and other income. Net profits pertaining to Shareholders increase to 302.7 million euro (+0.6%) For reasons including clear improvement in the tax rate, which came to 25.7% as against the 28.3% seen in the previous year, owing to the Group’s commitment towards investments for technological, digital and environmental transformation in the direction of Utility 4.0, net results for the period rose to 322.8 million (+1.8%), showing a 5.7 million growth compared to the 317.1 million seen in 2019. Net profits pertaining to Shareholders were also up, settling at the end of 2020 at 302.7 million euro (+0.6%) compared to the 2019 figure of 300.8 million (excluding 2019 non recurring results from “special items”). Net investments grow to 528.5 million, net debt/Ebitda ratio further improves to 2.87x In 2020, net investments – including the 46.9 million euro involved in acquiring financial shareholdings mainly concerning Ascopiave – came to 528.5 million, up 3.8% compared to the 509.2 million seen in 2019. Operating investments totalling 506.4 million euro, including capital grants, were mainly allocated to interventions on plants, networks and infrastructures, in order to guarantee quality, efficiency, safety, resilience and innovation, in addition to regulatory upgrading that concerned gas distribution above all, with a large-scale metre substitution, and the purification and sewerage sector. These investments allowed the value of regulated infrastructures (RAB) to remain almost unchanged, despite the assets in gas networks transferred as part of the Ascopiave transaction. At the same time, investments contributed to growth and recovery in the areas served, since they were carried out by the Group’s suppliers, most of which are small-medium local businesses, which were thus able to continue working without interruption thanks to the support offered by Hera. The Group’s net debt settled at 3,227.0 million, improving compared to the 3,274.2 million seen in 2019, with a 47.2 million euro reduction of financial debt. In particular, operations generated positive and growing cash flows, which allowed investments, M&A transactions, the dividends paid and the treasury shares acquired to be entirely financed. Thanks to the double lever of an increased Ebitda and a lower net debt, the net debt/Ebitda ratio settled at 2.87x, showing clear improvement with respect to the 3.02x seen in 2019. The Group’s financial solidity is reflected by the opinions released by major rating agencies: Moody’s assigned Hera a Baa2 rating with a stable outlook, while Standard & Poor’s gave it a BBB/A-2 rating with a positive outlook. The Group’s attention towards sustainability confirmed, with shared value Ebitda rising to 420.0 million These positive operating results were matched by Hera’s increasing attention towards sustainability. The Hera Group was the first to introduce, in 2016, shared value reporting, concerning all business activities that, in addition to creating operating earnings, respond to the drivers for sustainable growth set out in the UN’s 2030 Agenda and, more generally, by various national and international policies. In 2020, shared value Ebitda rose to 420.0 million euro (+7.2% compared to 2019), coming to 37.4% of overall Ebitda. This result confirms the path set out in the Business Plan, which expects this indicator to reach 648 million by 2024, almost 50% of total Ebitda. Shared value has acted for some time as a benchmark for Hera’s progress towards sustainability and its business model over the years – all the more so in these difficult months – and has now proven to be winning and resilient, the most concrete guarantee for a future with further development, for Hera and for the areas served, with the goal of accompanying them during recovery. The Hera Group’s best practices in ESG areas, moreover, have been confirmed by its inclusion in the FTSE4Good index series and, even more so, in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, World and Europe – one of the most authoritative stock market indices evaluating social responsibility – as “Industry leader” out of the roughly 3,500 companies with the highest capitalisation in the world. The Group’s attention towards sustainability and transparency has furthermore been confirmed by its decision to work towards the “Well below 2°C” goal in the “Science Based Targets initiative”. This involves pursuing carbon neutrality and applying the recommendations provided by the “Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures” (TCFD) in its reporting as of the 2020 financial year, to provide stakeholders with all information required to assess opportunities and risks linked to the climate. Proposed dividend up to 11 cents per share The Board of Directors, considering the positive results reached, has decided to put an 11 cents per share dividend to the Shareholders Meeting to be held on 28 April, up 10% compared to the last dividend paid and outperforming Business Plan target for the current year. This will furthermore benefit the shareholder remuneration policy described in the Business Plan, since this new starting point will be applied, thus arriving at a dividend coming to 13 cents per share by 2024, with constant increases introduced year after year. The rise in financial expenditure for the dividends foreseen over the period covered by the Plan will be fully covered by the cash already generated in 2020. The ex-dividend date has been set at 5 July 2021, with payment as of 7 July 2020. The dividend will be paid to shares recorded on 6 July 2021. Report on remuneration policy and compensation paid approved The Board of Directors furthermore approved the Report on remuneration policy 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 – increased significantly compared to the previous year, in terms of both earnings and volumes sold, rising to 374.4 million euro (+9.6%), 32.8 million more than the 341.6 million seen in 2019. This result was reached in spite of the impact of the health emergency, the milder winter temperatures, the spin-off of part of the gas distribution network following the Ascopiave transaction and the latest revision of tariffs by the Authority, all of which decreased Ebitda by roughly 50 million. Contributions to growth in Ebitda came mainly from the Ascopiave partnership, with the acquisition of companies belonging to the EstEnergy Group and AmgasBlu, and from the 8 portions of the last resort gas service in 16 regions of Italy and 5 portions of the default gas distribution service in 12 regions awarded for the period from 1 October 2020 to 30 September 2021. This growth was also sustained by the heat management business, with facade incentives. The number of gas customers reached almost 2.1 million, up by roughly 27 thousand over 2019 (+1.3%). In 2020, gross investments coming to 135.3 million were made, mainly going to interventions in the large-scale meter substitution and activities linked to acquiring new customers. The gas area’s contribution to Group Ebitda rose to 33.3%. Water Ebitda for the water area – which includes services in the aqueduct, purification and sewerage – came to 265.8 million euro, with a slight increase over the 265.3 million seen one year earlier. This result is due to the efficiency enhancing initiatives introduced by the Group, which fully offset the lower new connections, customer requests and subcontracted works owing to the health emergency. A slight increase in customers was also seen, amounting to 3 thousand, which now reach almost 1.5 million overall. Including capital grants, investments amounted to 166.2 million euro, mainly involving extensions, reclamations and network and plant upgrading, as well as regulatory adjustments, especially in the area of purification and sewage. Among other projects, work continued on the Rimini seawater protection plan, one of the most important, cutting-edge works in Italy in the field of sewerage and purification, in addition to upgrading the sewerage network in other areas. Requests for new water and sewerage connections increased compared to the previous year. The water area accounted for 23.7% of Group Ebitda. Waste Ebitda for the waste area – in which Hera Group is Italy’s foremost operator, and which includes waste collection, treatment and disposal services – settled at 258.0 million euro, compared to the 264.2 million euro seen in 2019, mainly due to a reduction in the earnings for regulated activities of municipal waste collection and sweeping. This result felt the effects of the health emergency, owing to the reduction in waste production seen during the lockdown, as well as the drop in demand for recycled plastic material and in prices for recycled products, and lower revenues from electricity generation in waste-to-energy plants. Nevertheless, in this context, Hera was able to react promptly thanks to its cutting-edge set of plants, with approximately ninety plants able to treat all types of waste, from the point of view of a circular economy as well, which proved to be a fundamental strategic lever in the Italian scenario, considering the country’s structural shortage of plants. This is confirmed by the positive results achieved by the waste management sector in the last quarter of 2020, which, along with the increase seen in waste treatment prices, made it possible to offset the Covid ’19 impact on Ebitda. Total investments coming to 68.3 million euro were mainly allocated to maintenance and upgrades on plants. This set of assets was further reinforced thanks to recent acquisitions – such as the one concerning Pistoia Ambiente – and agreements with outstanding partners. The latter include an agreement between Aliplast and NextChem, a company belonging to the Maire Tecnimont Group, aimed at creating an innovative structure for producing high-quality recycled polymers, which will make it possible to recycle rigid plastics and thus introduce greater sustainability in industrial sectors, such as the IT sector, which until now have used only virgin plastics. Again, a partnership was signed between Herambiente and Eni Rewind for creating, in Ravenna, an avant-garde environmental platform to manage industrial waste, minimizing disposal in favour of material and energy recovery. In 2020 as well, protecting environmental resources was confirmed as a priority objective for Hera, along with maximising their reuse, as is demonstrated by the additional increase in sorted municipal waste collection, which went from 64.6% in 2019 to 65.3% in 2020. The waste area accounted for 23% of Group Ebitda. Electricity The electricity area – which covers electricity generation, distribution and sales services – recorded an Ebitda coming to 188.2 million, up 9.7 million (+5.5%) compared to 178.5 million seen during the previous year. This result is mainly linked to the Ascopiave partnership, thanks to the acquisition of EstEnergy and AmgasBlu, and to higher margins from electricity generation in the dispatching service market, all of which considerably contained the negative effect of the health emergency. Increases were also seen in requests for new connections and in investments, which amounted to 47.7 million euro, 4.3 million more than in the previous year, mainly involving non-recurring maintenance on plants and distribution networks in the Modena, Imola, Trieste and Gorizia areas. Electricity customers rose to 1.3 million (+3.5%), up 44.8 thousand compared to 2019, with growth mainly seen on the free market, thanks to reinforced sales initiatives; safeguarded customers, instead, remained virtually the same as in the previous year. The electricity area accounted for 16.8% of Group Ebitda. Statement by Executive Chairman Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano The Hera Group’s 2020 financial statements prove, once again, our solidity and the effectiveness of our strategies, but also our close relations with local areas and stakeholders. These results indeed reflect our uninterrupted activities, in spite of the pandemic, supporting the economic fabric in which we operate. Quarter after quarter, we succeeded in meeting the challenges posed by the emergency, reacting quickly to reorganise our work and find solutions to protect our assets on the one hand, and customers on the other. In a complex context, we defined new projects and signed agreements with outstanding partners, and in the second half of 2020, gaining speed in particular towards the end of the year, we benefitted from the overall recovery seen in economic activities in the areas we serve. These positive results were reflected in all main indicators and are all the more significant in light of the difficulties caused by the health emergency: we thus confirmed our track record of 18 years of growth and further improved our financial solidity, with positive consequences for our public and private shareholders, to whom we have decided to pay, already this year, an increased dividend coming to 11 cents per share. The good cash generation seen in 2020, furthermore, will allow us to fully cover our policy of increased dividends through to 2024. Statement by CEO Stefano Venier The growth achieved by the Hera Group was strongly supported by its partnership with Ascopiave, which enabled the Group to expand further in the Triveneto region. Despite the complex context, we were able to immediately extract a significant part of the expected synergies, thus giving a crucial contribution to the increase in our cash flows in 2020. The year was also dedicated to further progress in fully integrating sustainability into our business strategies: we are committed to promoting further development in this direction, with projects for circularity, carbon neutrality and technological innovation, respecting European policies and the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda. This also includes a few collaborations recently launched, such as the one with Snam for developing hydrogen. Green gases, in fact, are a particularly interesting frontier for us precisely because we operate in more than one business: by providing our wide range of expertise and our broad infrastructures, we can create innovative examples of carbon neutral circularity between supply chains. 28 April 2021 Shareholders Meeting In light of the ongoing need for prudence in avoiding situations of risk caused by the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic, and therefore respecting fundamental principles of health protection, those entitled to take part in the Shareholders Meeting will be able to intervene without access to the physical premises and only through the Designated Representative. The notice calling the meeting and the documents pertaining to the Shareholders Meeting to be held on 28 April will be communicated to Shareholders and made available to the public in the regular forms provided for by law and the Articles of Association. 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 ), within 6 April 2021. Unaudited extracts from the Financial Statements at 31 December 2020 are attached. Profit & Loss (m€) 31/12/20 Inc.% 31/12/19 Inc.% Ch. Ch. % Sales 7,079.0 6,912.8 +166.2 +2.4% Other operating revenues 467.8 6.6% 530.8 7.7% (63.0) (11.9%) Raw material (3,410.6) (48.2%) (3,458.2) (50.0%) (47.6) (1.4%) Services costs (2,424.9) (34.3%) (2,318.2) (33.5%) +106.7 +4.6% Other operating expenses (58.9) (0.8%) (59.3) (0.9%) (0.4) (0.7%) Personnel costs (572.7) (8.1%) (560.4) (8.1%) +12.3 +2.2% Capitalisations 43.3 0.6% 37.6 0.5% +5.7 +15.1% Ebitda 1,123.0 15.9% 1,085.1 15.7% +37.9 +3.5% Depreciation and provisions (571.7) (8.1%) (542.6) (7.8%) +29.1 +5.4% Ebit 551.3 7.8% 542.5 7.8% +8.8 +1.6% Financial inc./(exp.) (116.7) (1.6%) (100.0) (1.4%) +16.7 +16.7% Pre tax profit 434.6 6.1% 442.5 6.4% (7.9) (1.8%) Taxes (111.8) (1.6%) (125.4) (1.8%) (13.6) (10.8%) Net profit 322.8 4.6% 317.1 4.6% +5.7 +1.8% Results from special items - 0.0% 84.9 1.2% (84.9) +100.0% Net profit for the period 322.8 4.6% 402.0 5.8% (79.2) (19.7%) Attributable to: Shareholders of the Parent Company 302.7 4.3% 385.7* 5.6% (83.0) (21.5%) Minority shareholders 20.1 0.3% 16.3 0.2% +3.8 +23.3% Balance Sheet (m€) 31/12/20 Inc.% 31/12/19 Inc.% Ch. Ch. % Net fixed assets 6,983.6 109.4% 6,846.3 108.9% +137.3 +2.0% Working capital 53.6 0.8% 87.0 1.4% (33.4) (38.4%) (Provisions) (654.9) (10.2%) (649.1) (10.3%) (5.8) +0.9% Net invested capital 6,382.3 100.0% 6,284.2 100.0% +98.1 +1.6% Net equity 3,155.3 49.4% 3,010.0 47.9% +145.3 +4.8% Long term net financial debt 3,617.1 56.7% 3,383.4 53.8% +233.7 +6.9% Short term net financial debt (390.1) (6.1%) (109.2) (1.7%) (280.9) +257.2% Net financial debts 3,227.0 50.6% 3,274.2 52.1% (47.2) (1.4%) Net invested capital 6,382.3 100.0% 6,284.2 100.0% +98.1 +1.6% Results as at 31 December 2020 Press release Y2020.pdf 2019-11-11 13:14:00 110x150.be-bs.jpg Il Gruppo Hera approva i risultati al 31/12/2020
Online dal 24/03/2021 alle ore 13:14
Press releases
26/02/2021
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Potentialpark 2021: Hera awarded for its ability to attract talent

2021-02-26 The Hera Group ranks among the most “talent-friendly” companies, for the fifth consecutive year, according to the Swedish research firm Potentialpark. Recognition comes once again for Hera’s efforts in online and social communication, aimed at young graduates in search of employment: second place overall in Italy and first for the career page on its site Sede Hera Only a few weeks after obtaining Top Employer certification, for the 12th consecutive year and ranking first overall in Italy for the second year in a row, the Hera Group has also been included once again among the companies with the best ability to attract talent. This has been established by the 2021 Italian edition of the Online Talent Communication study, carried out by the Swedish research firm Potentialpark, that each year drafts a ranking of companies who, through their online communication, are the most attractive for candidates in search of employment. In Potentialpark’s 2021 edition, Hera came in second in Italy, further improving its position in the overall ranking. Excellent results were also obtained by the Group in specific categories: first in the “Career Website” category, thanks to continuous improvements in the “Work with us” section of the company’s site (https://www.gruppohera.it/gruppo/lavora-con-noi). The Group furthermore maintained second place in the Mobile category, for the ease with which candidates may apply using a cell phone/smartphone. The Hera Group, moreover, has been focusing on innovation for some time now, offering candidates the best available technology. Social recruiting activities, i.e. interaction with candidates on the main social networks, are increasing: this effort was also recognised by Potentialpark, which included the Group in this category’s Top 10, with a significant improvement over previous years. The Group’s profile on LinkedIn, the main social network for professional relations, continues to grow and has now reached over 80,300 followers. These are significant results, that highlight the constant and growing commitment shown by the Hera Group towards communication and involving talented people, using all portals and digital tools. In addition to creating and spreading information, in fact, Hera makes efforts to customise its content, to meet the needs of the job market and rank among the best companies to which young people can look with interest. In fact, numerous activities have been designed to facilitate the application process and provide all information required to understand “life” at Hera. By visiting the Group’s website, young people looking for opportunities can indeed become familiar with the company, obtain information on salary policies, contracts, methods used to improve the balance between private life and professional careers, and learn about the company’s welfare plan and the HerAcademy corporate university, the first in Italy to be created by a multi-utility. Sede Gruppo Hera Press release Potentialpark 2021.pdf 2020-04-29 10:00:25 Sede Gruppo Hera Sede Hera
Online dal 26/02/2021 alle ore 10:00
24/02/2021
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Diversity and inclusion: Hera receives 2021 Top Utility prize

2021-02-24 Yet another recognition for the Group in this area. This prize, which analyses and valorises the best performances of Italy’s public service companies, was awarded today during the digital conference for its ninth edition Top Utility Analysis Attention towards gender equality, care given to diversity and inclusion: these issues are at the centre of the Hera Group’s strategies and corporate culture. This has been recognised among others by Top Utility, which today, during its digital conference, awarded to the Group first place in the Diversity category “for its efforts in making policies favouring diversity, inclusion and social responsibility”. Currently at its ninth edition, Top Utility analyses and valorises the changes made and performance shown by Italy’s 100 largest utilities on a yearly basis. Ranking as Top Utility in the Diversity category comes as recognition for the numerous initiatives introduced by the Hera Group, applied not only to its corporate culture but also to the management and development of its human resources. One example lies in the meritocratic systems planned and measured to be concrete applied, with compensation tools and benefits focused on performance, complexity in professional roles and market comparisons, regardless of characteristics involving gender or generation. The ensuing career paths see a growing percentage of women in roles of responsibility, now coming to roughly 30%. The attention given to these issues and the approach taken towards them by businesses is, furthermore, increasingly important for the international financial community, with investors showing growing interest towards listed companies with excellent policies in this area. For this reason as well, Hera has integrated these aspects within its Business plan, and provides transparent information on them each year in its sustainability report. “We are committed to making the Hera Group a place where everyone can feel ‘well’ and included”, remarks Susanna Zucchelli, Diversity Manager and Water Director at Hera. “A place where everyone knows they can make their own contribution to important projects that enrich the communities served, aiming at quality and favouring collaboration and communication. This is a company to which younger generations as well can look with interest as regards their future career. Receiving these recognitions gratifies us, motivates us and encourages us to do even better, to make our company a truly enabling party, developing and integrating these issues within the social fabric.” Hera’s leadership has also been recognised by other important awards. First and foremost, the Top Employer certification, achieved for the 12th consecutive year, confirming in 2021 as well the Hera Group’s top ranking overall in Italy. For years, furthermore, Hera has been included in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index and is among the leading companies in the Refinitiv Diversity & Inclusion Index. Press release Top Utility 2021.pdf 2020-04-29 11:53:25 Top Utility Analysis
Online dal 24/02/2021 alle ore 11:53
22/02/2021
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Snam and Hera: kicking off a technological collaboration for hydrogen development

2021-02-22 Depuratore Gruppo Hera Snam and Hera announce that they have signed a Letter of Intent for a technological collaboration aimed at developing hydrogen, for their own areas of activity respectively. Depuratore Gruppo Hera The aim is to test and subsequently implement a number of solutions able to respond to the decarbonisation needs of the Emilia-Romagna region in a cross-cutting manner, from production to mobility to individual citizens. This agreement will also contribute to promote the development of renewable energies in Italy, in line with the guidelines set out by the European Union. The accord involves several areas of action, starting from the collaboration on power-to-gas technology. Specifically, an innovative plant is at an advanced stage of design at the Bologna Corticella multi-utility treatment plant, which will transform excess renewable electricity into “green” hydrogen to be injected into the networks by exploiting purified water and returning oxygen, biogas and sludge to the water purification process, thus obtaining a mutually beneficial “symbiosis” between the two plants, with an additional environmental benefit. In the industrial field, the two companies will also study the application of hydrogen for thermal uses in the most energy-intensive sectors and with processes that are difficult to electrify. Other options under study include the creation of plants to extract green hydrogen from water, using the renewable energy generated by the Hera Group’s waste-to-energy plants, with the aim of contributing to the decarbonisation of industrial sectors such as the production of fertilisers and fuels. Finally, the Letter of Intent provides for a possible joint experimentation of injecting a mixture of natural gas and hydrogen into a portion of Hera’s distribution network in Emilia-Romagna, similar to what Snam has already done on its own transmission network. At the heart of this experimentation is the gas network of Modena. “The agreement with Hera - Marco Alverà, CEO of Snam said - is part of the collaboration we are starting with energy and industrial companies to develop hydrogen-related technologies and implement projects in different areas of the Italian territory. Hydrogen will be a decisive element, together with electricity from renewable sources, to enable Europe to become the first continent with net zero emissions by 2050. Snam intends to contribute to this path, by providing its infrastructure, combined with its skills and innovation capacity, to create a national hydrogen supply chain capable of accelerating the path to decarbonisation and create new opportunities for development and employment.” “With this partnership we wish to concretely contribute to the development of the hydrogen option to pursue the carbon neutrality of the territories, consistent with the commitment to sustainable development that has always guided our actions. – Stefano Venier, CEO of the Hera Group commented - Signing this protocol is part of the strategy outlined in our 2024 Business Plan, which calls for numerous actions and investments for energy transition and environmental protection in line with European strategies and the objectives of the UN 2030 Agenda. Green gases, including hydrogen, are a particularly interesting frontier for us because we operate in several businesses: by making available our cross-sector expertise and our extensive infrastructure platform we can create innovative examples of carbon neutral circularity among supply chains.” This agreement is likely subject to subsequent binding agreements that the parties will define in compliance with the applicable regulatory profiles. Depuratore Gruppo Hera Press release Snam-Hera.pdf 2020-04-29 11:01:00 Depuratore Gruppo Hera
Online dal 22/02/2021 alle ore 11:01
08/02/2021
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera 2021 gold medal in S&P Global’s Sustainability Award

2021-02-08 The Group has received Gold Class status for ranking as "Industry leader" in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, one of the world's most authoritative stock market indices assessing ESG factors. Hera also given special mention as "Industry mover". Sede Hera The Hera Group has received a worldwide gold medal for social responsibility. S&P Global, indeed, has awarded the company its Gold Class 2021, the highest recognition reserved for companies included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), the authoritative international stock market index assessing the ESG factors of roughly 3,500 listed companied with the highest capitalisation globally. This prestigious result was released today with the publication of the Sustainability Yearbook 2021, a report that contains the results of analyses carried out for gaining access to the index last year, and the names of companies that achieved the highest sustainability scores. Following its inclusion in the FTSE MIB in 2019, Hera participated in the selection process for the DJSI and, in only 2 years, rapidly rose in the classification, being included in the World and European indices at the same time and ranking as "Industry leader", i.e. the best "Multi-utility and Water" in the world, with a score of 87/100, compared to a sector average coming to 45/100. Compared to the other companies assessed by the DJSI, Hera stood out in particular for its environmental and economic sustainability, and its governance. The Sustainability Yearbook 2021 gives particular emphasis to the significant results achieved by Hera in the areas identified as most challenging for its sector, such as resource management and protection, the ability to grasp market opportunities and relations with stakeholders. In addition to Gold Class status, Hera also received special mention as "Industry mover", that is, the company that recorded the most significant improvement, rising by no less than 19 points compared to the score of 68/100 in 2019. These recognitions provide further confirmation of the valid sustainability strategy pursued by Hera, which represents its fundamental approach, substantiated once again by its Business plan to 2024, presented to investors 20 days ago. In the Plan, operating and financial results are expected to improve continuously, with a solid cash generation and ESG targets to 2030. The Plan foresees investments and initiatives for energy and environmental transition and technological evolution, in line with European strategies and the UN's 2030 Agenda. The most significant challenges include the field of renewable energies and pursuing carbon neutrality. In particular, Hera aims to achieve ambitious goals in reduction, following the criteria of the "Science Based Target initiative" especially as regards "Well below 2°C", (intended to limit the increase in the Earth's temperature to significantly under 2°C). Among the numerous international recognitions going to the Group for its attention towards sustainability, also note Hera's inclusion in 2020 in the FTSE4Good Index Series, a set of ethical indices conceived by FTSE Russell to encourage investments in companies that meet strict criteria in the area of ESG. Not by chance, attention towards ESG factors is an increasingly central issue for investors as well, and was included by Hera in its mission as of 2002, the year of its establishment. Press release Hera Sustainability Yearbook.pdf 2020-01-24 12:50:00 Sede Hera
Online dal 08/02/2021 alle ore 12:50
04/02/2021
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Sustainable agriculture: Hera with Yara Italia and Sapio for green hydrogen

2021-02-04 Aimed at contributing to decarbonising the agriculture sector, Hera has signed a memorandum intended to study the feasibility of a project for generating and using green hydrogen, linked to a concrete goal: fuelling the fertiliser produced by Yara Italia, the leader in this industry. Sapio is also involved, for the technological aspects and hydrogen management Sede Hera In times of climate change, a transition in the agricultural transition is a challenge as urgent as it is complex, because it requires not only reducing high water consumption but also limiting the emissions involved in the many processes concerned by agriculture, both directly and indirectly. The fertiliser sector is unquestionably among these processes, and is the subject of the memorandum signed by the Hera Group – one of Italy’s largest multi-utilities – with Yara Italia, a leader in nitric and complex fertiliser production, and by Sapio, a leading figure in the field of technical and medical gases. The memorandum is intended to explore the possibility of increasing sustainability in the agriculture sector, by using green hydrogen. A plant able to produce up to 500 tons/year of green hydrogen Based on this agreement, Hera, Yara and Sapio will begin a coordinated series of analyses that, within the year’s end, will assess the technological, economic and regulatory feasibility of a concrete project for using renewable energy and developing the green hydrogen industry. The project covers green hydrogen generation, transportation and use to fuel fertiliser production. In particular, the experimental plant intended for generating hydrogen would use the renewable energy produced by Hera’s Ferrara WTE plant, to produce hydrogen from water and thus fuel Yara Italia’s nearby industrial facility, dedicated to fertiliser production. Scouting the plant technologies will be done by Sapio, who will also be responsible for further evaluations concerning the technical solutions through which Yara’s facility will be supplied. An annual green hydrogen production capacity coming to 500 tons is expected. Commitment to green energy at the centre of Hera’s strategies By signing this memorandum, the Hera Group has given new impetus, only a few weeks after the approval of its Business Plan to 2024, to its commitment towards innovation, renewable energy and carbon neutrality. In line with European strategies and the goals on the UN’s 2030 Agenda, the environmental content of the Plan calls for not only promoting a circular economy and intervening to increase infrastructure resilience, but also all actionsfor energy transition and the fight against climate change, which increasingly involve biomethane, hydrogen and green syngas. The Group’s investments in technological innovation are fundamental in this sense, essential in searching for sustainable solutions in the area of so-called “clean energies”. Hera has been working towards sustainability in the agriculture sector for some time, for example through a circular and resilient management of water that also involves various projects in regenerating water resources and reusing waste water. “Developing clean energy”, remarks Stefano Venier, Hera Group CEO, “necessarily involves periods of research that, following the spirit underlying this memorandum, consolidate the expectations of our most advanced projects. Furthermore, it is equally important to set out these projects in a concrete and sustainable way, to meet the needs of sectors such as agriculture, which still have a significant environmental impact in terms of resource consumption, from water to energy. A commitment to sustainability, in any case, has always been in our DNA, as is further proven by Hera’s recent inclusion in theDow Jones Sustainability Index, and our decision to voluntarily apply the recommendations of the “Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures” (TCFD) in our reporting as of the 2020 financial year. Our goal, reaffirmed in the Business Plan to 2024 as well, is to keep raising the bar, and forward-looking projects such as the one launched with Yara Italia and Sapio go precisely in this direction, exploring possibilities that, in a modular way, can be replicated elsewhere as well.” Yara Italia, the Italian branch of the Norwegian multinational Yara International ASA, a world leader in the fertiliser sector, has been successfully working for years to shape change as regards sustainability. Reducing CO2 emissions and water consumption, improving the environmental and energy sustainability of production processes and implementing regenerative solutions for soil that increase the effectiveness of fertiliser and thus reduce overuse, are at the top of the Group’s list of strategic priorities. Participating in this project is for Yara an additional, significant step in this direction. Sapio has maintained its vision of sustainability for almost a century, and is strongly committed to remaining at the forefront in developing and promoting the hydrogen sector, to allow Italy, which boasts an advantageous geographical position and important distribution networks, to become a European leader. Sapio, an active member of H2IT (the Italian Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Association) and the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, covers all modalities of hydrogen production and distribution, through to its final applications, guaranteeing a high-quality offer with significant technological value. “Hydrogen is the future. And the future is now”, remarks the Chairman of the Sapio Group and the Associazione H2IT, Alberto Dossi. “We are witnessing an important historical moment, and it is equally important to collaborate with companies such as Hera and Yara. This example proves that this sector, in our country, is prepared to lead Italy to play a central role in the energy transition. We have both an industrial and a scientific mission, thanks to our relations with leading universities and research centres. To rise to the challenge of decarbonisation, the time has come to formulate a national strategy for hydrogen, that will allow us to reach the ambitious goals set out by the Ministry of Economic Development, which call for a usage of hydrogen coming to 20% within 2050.” Press release Sustainable agriculture Hera with Yara Italia and Sapio for green hydrogen.pdf 2020-01-24 10:51:00 Sede Hera
Online dal 04/02/2021 alle ore 10:51
27/01/2021
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera Group part of the 2021 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index

2021-01-27 Once again, for the second consecutive year, Hera has been included in this index, which measures gender equality and the promotion of diversity and inclusion. The Hera Group pays close attention to gender equality and to promoting diversity and inclusion, and stands out in particular for its transparency in providing information on these issues and its harassment prevention and sanctioning policies. The Group has indeed been included this year as well - after becoming part of it for the first time in 2020 - in the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, which evaluates 11,700 companies worldwide committed to promoting and creating equal and inclusive workplaces. Diversity awareness is indeed an increasingly important issue for the international financial community, with investors showing growing interest towards listed companies with outstanding policies in this area. Hera's confirmation within the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index - achieving significant results, even compared to the average in the utility sector - bears witness to the quality of the path chosen by the Group, which over time has been enriched with new content and increased dimensions, involving a growing number of employees. Today, diversity valorisation policies are an integral part of the Group's strategy, and are also defined in its Business Plan to 2024. Promoting diversity, inclusion and people development is central in human resource management. At Hera, equality in access to development and professional growth is reached through meritocratic systems designed and calibrated to guarantee their own concrete application. The tools used include compensation and benefits focused on performance, the complexity of one's role and market comparisons, regardless of gender or generation, and career paths that see an increasing percentage of women with roles of responsibility, now coming to roughly 30%. Additional proof of the Group's attention towards these issues comes from the score obtained in the 2020 Refinitiv (previously Thomson Reuters) "Diversity & Inclusion Index", where Hera further improved its position, ranking as the 12th company in the world, 2nd in Italy and the leading multi-utility overall. In November 2020, moreover, Hera was defined as "Industry leader" and included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and Europe, one of the most authoritative stock market indices evaluating social responsibility, that brings together companies showing the best sustainability performances internationally. Press release Bloomberg Gender Equality Index.pdf 2015-11-12 13:22:00 GEIseal 2021_WHT_110x150.png
Online dal 27/01/2021 alle ore 13:22
25/01/2021
Hera Spa
Other press releases

Hera a Top Employer for the 12th time

2021-01-25 Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano The Group, after gaining recognition as the best company in Italy in 2020, has once again obtained this certification of excellence in managing human resources. This comes as a reward for its strategy focused on people, with investments in welfare, training and diversity, with an organisation promoting agility in work and digitalisation. A company's workers are the true key to its success. The Hera Group knows this well, and continues to dedicate resources, attention and commitment to its team of over 9,000 employees. And the results are clear to all, as is shown by Top Employer, an international certification of excellence in human resource management, awarded to Hera in 2021 as well, for the 12th consecutive year. This recognition comes from the Holland-based Top Employer Institute, which carries out research on the quality of human resource management, examining over 1,600 businesses. Hera, recognised as the best company in 2020, has once again been certified as a Top Employer for its business strategies, in which attention towards human resources has always been fundamental, thanks to its best practices regarding welfare, working conditions, development and training, diversity and innovation. The Group, indeed, puts people at the centre of its policies, with processes designed from the outset to fit its employees and to increase and innovate their skills, guaranteeing paths in mobility and development and favouring self-learning. The Group also stands out for its organisational methods, which promote worker agility and digitalisation, with a smart working project launched in 2017 that created the bases to effectively face the emergency that struck our country, with no effect on service quality and efficiency, protecting at the same time the health and safety of its employees and customers. In 2020, Hera immediately introduced a range of measures that ensured it would remain close to its workers: from upgrading technological tools favouring collaboration and communication among employees, to redesigning training in order to meet new obligations concerning remote work, and setting in place a Covid-19 insurance policy for its employees, with all expenses covered by the company. Hera's most outstanding human resource policies include Hextra, the integrated corporate welfare plan intended for all Group employees, investments for which reached 4.5 million euro in 2020 alone. The Group also offers its employees campaigns aimed at awareness, prevention, cure, overall wellbeing and education. Hera has also confirmed its ranking among the leading Italian businesses that invest in their employees' personal and professional development, with 26 hours of training per capita each year and a total of roughly 236,000 hours provided, thanks to investments coming to approximately 2 million euro. In this area, a fundamental role is played by HerAcademy, the Group's corporate university that allows it to communicate with businesses and the main local institutions. Furthermore, through the Hera Educational set of initiatives, the Group constantly reinforces its role in the area served, consolidating its partnerships with various figures in the educational system. Lastly, a special focus goes to sustainability and guaranteeing equal opportunity, inclusion and diversity valorisation. This is proved by the Group's presence in the 2020 Refinitiv "Diversity & Inclusion Index" 2020 (formerly Thomson Reuters) and its entrance in the 2020 "Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index". In November 2020, as regards ESG factors, which also cover human resource management and development, Hera was recognised as "Industry leader" and included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index World and Europe, one of the most authoritative stock market indices evaluating social responsibility, which brings together the companies showing the best sustainability performances in the world. "We are proud to receive this certification in 2021 as well, which attests once again to the investments we make in human resources", states the Hera Group's Executive Chairman, Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano. "This recognition is all the more significant in a complex period such as the present, where we have proven our ability to react to difficulties and show resilience, obtaining quality in our results, aiming at sustainability and creating value for stakeholders and the area served. We have reached this goal thanks to the work done by all our employees, and we wish to continue investing in them, providing wellbeing, training and development, and offering the best possible working conditions within an inclusive and participative context". Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano Press release Hera a Top Employer for the 12th time.pdf 2015-11-12 10:41:00 top_employer_2021_110x150.1611570319.png
Online dal 25/01/2021 alle ore 10:41

Pre-Footer Gruppo Media

Group Director of Communication And External Relations

Giuseppe Gagliano

Director

 

 Email

MEDIA AND PRESS CONTACT

Contacts

Telephone: +39 051 287111

HERA SPA

Viale Carlo Berti Pichat nr. 2/4 - 40127

 

Bologna

Contacts

Telephone: +39 051 287111

HERA SPA

Viale Carlo Berti Pichat nr. 2/4 - 40127

 

Bologna

Bilancio bs e be banner

Interactive financial statements and sustainability reports
The consolidated economic results at 31 December 2023 and the 2023 sustainability report were approved by the Board of Directors of the Hera Group on 26 March 2024

Pre-Footer Standard

Hera SpA, Viale Carlo Berti Pichat 2/4, 40127 Bologna, Tel.051287111 www.gruppohera.it