Hera Group and Caviro together until 2035 with Enomondo, a joint venture that sets an example in agri-food waste recovery
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Hera Group and Caviro together until 2035 with Enomondo, a joint venture that sets an example in agri-food waste recovery
A new ten-year agreement has been signed between subsidiaries Herambiente and Caviro Extra for joint management of composting, cogeneration and photovoltaic plants: every year, over 230,000 tonnes of biomass are transformed into energy and natural fertilisers. Further investments have been planned to reduce emissions and increase the value of the products. This shared Emilia-Romagna industrial model is thus confirmed as an exemplary case of symbiosis between the waste management and wine-growing sectors.
The Hera Group, through its subsidiary Herambiente – the Italian leader in integrated waste management – and Caviro Extra – a circular company specialising in the recovery of agro-industrial waste from the Caviro Group, Italy’s foremost wine cooperative – have signed a renewal of the framework agreement, extending Enomondo, a joint venture on an equal basis, until 2035. This company, based in the reference territory in Faenza (Ravenna), operates in biomass recovery for renewable energy and natural fertiliser production.
The agreement confirms the two partners’ commitment to strengthening an integrated industrial supply chain model that makes Enomondo one of Italy’s leading hubs applying the circular economy to agri-food. Over the next ten years, new investments have been planned to increase plant efficiency, technological innovation and environmental performance.
A shared commitment to sustainable development in Emilia-Romagna
The renewal of the partnership confirms Caviro Extra and Herambiente’s desire to contribute to the sustainable development of the Emilia-Romagna region by promoting local recovery chains, reducing emissions and ensuring maximum transparency in environmental management. Enomondo currently manages an integrated system that includes a 13.7 MWe biomass-fuelled thermoelectric power plant, composting plants that produce three different types of soil improvers, two plants for municipal green waste shredding and three photovoltaic plants (two under construction) with a total capacity of 1.45 MWe for the self-production of renewable energy. Furthermore, through an integrated district heating network, the heat produced is used in the Caviro plant and partly also in the Faenza industrial district, closing the circle between production, recovery and local use of energy.
Every year, the company recovers over 230,000 tonnes of biomass and organic materials and, through composting, obtains compost fertilisers that reduce the use of chemical fertilisers by up to 50% and improve soil health and crop sustainability. Even combustion residues are valorised: the ashes are almost entirely reused for the production of cement conglomerates and road bases, while only a minimal part – no more than 0.1% – becomes non-recoverable waste.
Investments for lower emissions and purer fertilisers
In recent years, Enomondo has strengthened its role as a reference point for advanced technology in circular biomass management. It has invested 12 million euro to build a new plant for the production of composted soil improver from the agri-food chain (ACFA) and a canopy for fertiliser storage, and has introduced new technologies to reduce odour emissions, eliminate plastic and improve the quality of natural fertilisers. All these measures are aimed at reducing environmental
impact. The 2026-2035 business plan provides for further investments, including 20 million euro for the modernisation of energy systems, which will save over 50 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year.
A historical industrial partnership in Emilia-Romagna
The renewal until 2035 consolidates a partnership that has brought together two of the region’s outstanding companies: the environmental expertise of Herambiente, Italy’s foremost waste treatment operator, and the agri-food leadership of Caviro Extra, which valorises the by-products generated by over 14,000 associated winegrowers throughout Italy and beyond. This alliance, launched in 2009, has made it possible to build a replicable model of industrial symbiosis, where energy and soil fertility are derived from what would otherwise be waste.
According to Filippo Brandolini, President of Enomondo and Herambiente, “the renewal of the partnership between Herambiente and Caviro Extra confirms a shared vision: transforming waste into resources, to generate economic and environmental value for the local area. Enomondo is a concrete example of applied circular economy, capable of combining innovation, sustainability and competitiveness. We do not simply process by-products, we transform them into secondary raw materials and energy, creating shared value for the environment and for production chains. This virtuous model has heightened our expertise, and we are replicating it in other industrial sectors. With this agreement, we look ahead to the next ten years with the aim of continuing to invest in technologies and processes that reduce environmental impact and promote decarbonisation.”
“We are consolidating a unique model of industrial partnership, which enhances the by-products of Caviro’s agri-food and wine production chain and transforms them into energy, soil fertility and measurable environmental benefits,” explains Carlo Dalmonte, President of the Caviro Group. The decision taken fifteen years ago to invest in a supply chain capable of generating environmental and economic value for the region, through Enomondo, proves how far-sighted our cooperation was, along with its ability to achieve concrete action thanks to our belief in initiative and collaboration between companies and supply chains. We have been able to transform what would otherwise be waste into opportunity, building sustainable and shared industrial models.”
Enomondo S.r.l. is a 50/50 joint venture between Herambiente S.p.A. (Hera Group) and Caviro Extra S.p.A. (Caviro Group). It has been operating in Faenza since 2011 in the circular economy sector, focusing on biomass recovery, natural fertiliser production and energy generation from renewable sources. Every year, it recovers 230,000 tonnes of biomass through the production of approximately 75 GWh of electricity, 100 GWh of thermal energy and 70,000 tonnes of three different types of natural soil improvers: ACV (Green Soil Improver Compost), ACM (Mixed Soil Improver Compost) and ACFA (Soil Improver Compost from Agri-Food Chain Waste).
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The multi-utility continues on its growth path and value creation for shareholders and local areas served. Executive Chairman Cristian Fabbri and Chief Executive Officer Orazio Iacono have also been reappointed to the Board of Directors for the next three-year term.
The Ordinary Shareholders’ Meeting of Hera, chaired by Cristian Fabbri, was held this morning in Bologna. It approved the Annual Financial Report as at 31 December 2025, including the Consolidated Sustainability Statement, and the distribution of an increased dividend of 16 eurocents per share, as already announced when the Business Plan to 2029 was presented.
Among the various resolutions adopted, the Shareholders’ Meeting also appointed the members of the Board of Directors and the Board of Statutory Auditors for the next three-year term.
Approval of the 2025 financial statements, with net profit attributable to shareholders up 4%
The Shareholders’ Meeting approved the results as at 31 December 2025, which once again confirm the company’s financial solidity and its increasing value creation for all stakeholders.
The main results include:
- EBITDA of €1,537.2 million, slightly down compared with €1,587.6 million as at 31 December 2024, mainly due to extraordinary margins linked to temporary, non-recurring opportunities recorded in the previous year, relating to last-resort markets and the ecobonus. Net of these effects, the 2025 EBITDA shows growth of 4.5%;
- Net profit attributable to shareholders of €464.3 million, up 3.9% on a like-for-like basis compared with 2024, which benefited from extraordinary items relating to the exercise of the put option by Ascopiave, following which the Hera Group came to hold 100% of EstEnergy, one of the leading energy operators in North-East Italy;
- gross operating investments of €1,028 million, up 19.5%, mainly in the water cycle and waste areas. These investments are dedicated to projects aimed at enabling the energy transition and circular economy, in line with the strategy set out in the Business Plan and with the Net Zero target by 2050, confirming the Group’s ongoing focus on innovation, enhancement and strengthening the resilience of its infrastructure;
- Net debt/EBITDA ratio of 2.57x. The total value of Net financial position amounts to €3,944.4 million, broadly in line with the figures recorded as at 31 December 2024.
- shared-value EBITDA and investments increased respectively to €915.6 million, up 7%, and €810.9 million respectively, equal to 78% of total investments, confirming the commitment to sustainability and value creation in the areas served;
- €672.2 million of investments aligned with the European Taxonomy, equal to 64% of total gross operating investments;
- economic value distributed to stakeholders in the areas served, including shareholders, local communities, public administration, suppliers and employees, amounted to €2,102 million, with more than €11.5 billion expected overall over the five-year period 2025-2029.
All the figures demonstrate the validity of the management policies implemented by the Group, which have made it possible to respond effectively to the complexities of the external scenario, seize new opportunities and generate value for the company and all stakeholders, while at the same time promoting sustainable development in line with the objectives of the UN Agenda.
Distribution of an increased dividend of 16 eurocents per share
The Shareholders’ Meeting approved the proposal of the Board of Directors to distribute a dividend of 16 eurocents per share, before statutory withholding taxes, up 6.7% compared with the last dividend paid and higher than the forecast in the previous Business Plan, which was 15.5 eurocents.
This increase will feed through to the entire dividend policy over the plan period, reaching 19 eurocents per share in 2029.
The ex-dividend date for coupon no. 24 will be 22 June 2026, with payment from 24 June 2026. The dividend will be payable on shares held as at the record date of 23 June 2026. Based on Hera’s share price as at 31 December 2025, the dividend paid corresponds to an annual yield of 4%.
Renewal of the Board of Directors and the Board of Statutory Auditors
The Board of Directors and the Board of Statutory Auditors were also renewed for the next three-year term, expiring with the Shareholders’ Meeting that will approve the 2028 financial statements.
Following the vote, the following directors were appointed:
- Cristian Fabbri, Orazio Iacono, Tommaso Fabbri, Roberta Calderisi, Fabio Bacchilega, Gianni Bessi, Enrico Di Stasi, Fabrizio Toselli, Benedetta Brighenti, Vanessa Camani and Marina Monassi, drawn from majority list no. 1, representing the shareholders’ agreement of Hera’s public shareholders, who together hold 40.91% of Hera’s share capital;
- Francesco Perrini, Paola Schwizer and Alice Vatta, drawn from minority list no. 3, submitted by Studio Legale Trevisan e Associati on behalf of numerous investment fund management companies, which together hold 1.07152% of Hera’s share capital;
- Bruno Tani, drawn from minority list no. 2, submitted by Gruppo Società Gas Rimini S.p.A., which holds 2.065825% of Hera’s share capital.
Tommaso Fabbri, Roberta Calderisi, Fabio Bacchilega, Fabrizio Toselli, Benedetta Brighenti, Vanessa Camani, Marina Monassi, Francesco Perrini, Paola Schwizer, Alice Vatta and Bruno Tani declared that they meet the independence requirements set out in Article 148, paragraph 3, of Legislative Decree 58/1998 and in the Corporate Governance Code.
The curricula vitae of the new directors are available at:
https://eng.gruppohera.it/group_eng/corporate-governance/board-of-directors
As regards the Board of Statutory Auditors, the following auditors were appointed:
- Sonia Dall’Agata and Giovanni Rocco di Torrepadula, standing auditors, and Susanna Giuriatti, alternate auditor, drawn from majority list no. 1, representing the shareholders’ agreement of Hera’s public shareholders;
- Giacinto Gaetano Sarubbi, Chairman, and Silvia Mignatti, alternate auditor, drawn from minority list no. 3, submitted by Studio Legale Trevisan e Associati on behalf of numerous investment fund management companies.
The curricula vitae of the new auditors are available at:
https://eng.gruppohera.it/group_eng/corporate-governance/board-of-statutory-auditors
Pursuant to current legislation and the Articles of Association, gender balance requirements were complied with.
Other resolutions approved
The Shareholders’ Meeting also approved the renewal of the authorisation granted to the Board of Directors to purchase treasury shares, and the methods for disposing of them, up to a rotating maximum limit of 60,000,000 shares and for a total amount of up to €270 million, for 18 months from today’s date, with the related revocation of the previous resolution passed last year for the unexecuted portion. The renewal of the authorisation to use treasury shares was requested in order to pursue the purposes permitted by law and accepted market practices, with a view to increasing value creation for shareholders, including in the context of transactions also carried out by Group companies where investment opportunities arise, and for transactions involving the issue of financial instruments.
Lastly, the Shareholders’ Meeting approved the first section and voted in favour of the second section of the Report on remuneration policy and compensation paid, in line with international best practice.
Executive Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer appointed
The inaugural meeting of Hera’s Board of Directors, appointed in the morning by the Shareholders’ Meeting, was held in Bologna in the afternoon. The Board appointed the Chairman, Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
Cristian Fabbri was reappointed as Executive Chairman, while Orazio Iacono was reappointed as Chief Executive Officer.
Tommaso Fabbri was appointed Deputy Chairman, in a non-executive capacity. An expert in the sector and in corporate organisation, he is currently Full Professor of Business Organisation at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Unimore), where he is Deputy Director of the E4E Doctoral School, Economics and Engineering. In the past, he was Director of the “Marco Biagi” Department of Economics and Director of the PhD programme in Labour, Development and Innovation.