Hera Group and Saipem launch strategic partnership to support the energy transition and circular economy of Italian industry
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Hera Group and Saipem launch strategic partnership to support the energy transition and circular economy of Italian industry
A collaboration agreement has been signed to support companies and local areas on their path towards the energy transition and circular economy, through innovative solutions that combine sustainability with competitiveness
Saipem, a global leader in the engineering and construction of major projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors, and Hera Group, one of Italy’s leading multi-utilities, have signed a strategic collaboration agreement, initially lasting three years, with the aim of supporting Italian companies in their energy efficiency, decarbonisation and circular economy journeys.
The partnership draws on Saipem’s engineering and technological expertise and Hera Group’s long-standing experience in waste, water and energy services. Both companies share a firm commitment to sustainability and emissions reduction.
The agreement between the two organisations aims to support companies and local areas in the energy transition, offering concrete, integrated solutions to reduce emissions, improve consumption efficiency and enhance resource recovery. Particular attention will be paid to the needs of the most energy-intensive industrial sectors, such as ceramics, glass, paper, chemicals, cement, steel and other industries characterised by processes that are difficult to electrify, all of which face an increasingly complex and challenging path towards Net Zero.
Through this partnership, Saipem and Hera Group will make their multidisciplinary expertise available, offering a comprehensive portfolio of technologies and integrated solutions for energy efficiency, renewable energy, hydrogen and carbon capture systems. The objective is to identify, on a case-by-case basis, the most effective energy transition pathway from a technical, energy and economic perspective.
Interested companies will be able to benefit from a free preliminary audit designed to assess the best possible decarbonisation pathway from an energy and economic standpoint, as well as support in evaluating incentive schemes available at national and European level to help make projects feasible. This represents a concrete contribution across the entire energy transition value chain, a rapidly evolving sector that is increasingly strategic for the competitiveness of the production system.
For Saipem, the agreement with Hera Group forms part of its strategy to support the energy transition of the most complex industrial sectors. The partnership enhances the Group’s engineering and technological expertise and its ability to integrate innovative solutions, strengthening Saipem’s role as a technology partner for Italian industry. It also broadens access to solutions for energy efficiency, renewables, hydrogen and CO₂ capture, in line with Saipem’s evolution towards increasingly sustainable business models.
This agreement is fully aligned with the path outlined by Hera Group in its Business Plan to 2029, which envisages €3 billion in investments dedicated to the energy transition and circular economy of local areas and businesses. Also moving in this direction is the cutting-edge project for the capture of CO₂ emissions at the Ferrara waste-to-energy plant, proposed by Hera Group as lead partner in collaboration with Saipem. The project was selected in October 2024 to receive funding under the fourth call for mid-scale projects of the EU Innovation Fund, confirming the multi-utility’s commitment to promoting advanced technologies and strategic partnerships to make a concrete contribution to national and European climate targets.
Hera Group
Hera Group is one of Italy’s largest multi-utilities and operates in the environment, energy and water sectors, with over 10,500 employees. More than 7.5 million citizens receive at least one service provided by the Group. Listed since 2003, it is among the top 40 Italian companies by market capitalisation, is included in the FTSE MIB index and has been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Index since 2020, recently renamed the Dow Jones Best-in-Class Index.
https://eng.gruppohera.it/group_eng/
Saipem
Saipem is a global leader in the engineering and construction of major projects in the energy and infrastructure sectors, both offshore and onshore. Saipem is a “One Company” organised into business lines: Asset Based Services, Drilling and Sonsub, Energy Carriers, Offshore Wind and Sustainable Infrastructures. The company has five fabrication yards and an offshore fleet of 17 owned construction vessels and 12 drilling rigs, nine of which are owned. Always focused on technological innovation, the company’s vision is “Engineering for a sustainable future”. For this reason, Saipem is committed every day to supporting its clients on their energy transition journey towards Net Zero, using increasingly digital means, technologies and processes geared towards environmental sustainability. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange, Saipem operates in more than 50 countries worldwide and employs around 30,000 people of over 130 nationalities.
Website: www.saipem.com
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The multi-utility tops the ranking, marking its sixth consecutive year on the podium, the only Italian company to achieve this result. The recognition rewards the credibility and consistency with which the Group integrates ESG factors into its strategy, governance and corporate culture.
Hera Group ranked first in the 2026 ESG Identity Corporate Index, developed by ET.Group to measure the extent to which ESG factors are integrated into companies’ strategies and decision-making processes. The results of the eleventh edition were presented today in Milan at the ESG Business Conference.
The Group’s growth, together with the progressive evolution and increasing maturity of its ESG model, has gone hand in hand with continuous advances in governance, enabling the multi-utility to rank among the Top 10 for 9 consecutive years and on the podium for six years in a row.
A more selective assessment focused on ESG credibilityThe recognition is even more significant as it is the outcome of a rigorous assessment process carried out against a benchmark that continues to rise. The 2026 edition included a record 109 companies, all demonstrating increasingly advanced levels of ESG maturity.
The assessment itself has also become more demanding, shifting the focus from disclosure alone to companies’ ability to demonstrate the effective integration of ESG factors into strategy, decision-making processes and corporate culture. The analysis centres on the development of a robust and coherent ESG strategy geared towards value creation, transparent reporting of results, and the ability to anticipate and manage risks.
For Hera Group, particular emphasis was placed on:
- governance as an enabler, supported by the active involvement of dedicated governance bodies;
- the integration of ESG targets into remuneration policies and long-term strategies;
- the ability to foster a cross-functional ESG culture involving all business functions and the entire value chain.
Hera Group builds its ESG narrative on its strategy, its commitments and its ability to translate them into tangible results. Over more than twenty years, the multi-utility has combined sustained economic growth with the evolution of its governance towards increasingly demanding targets, clear accountability and measurable performance. The credibility of the Group’s commitments rests on a consistent track record of delivery, as demonstrated by significant investments, completed projects and reported impacts. The same rigour underpins investment in people development through skills, inclusion and professional growth, as well as incentive systems that embed sustainability targets.
For Hera Group, ESG is therefore the practical framework through which the company governs, grows and creates value over time.