Press releases

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

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

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

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