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sede Hera 110x150.jpg centrata Hera Group, one of Italy’s largest multiutilities, further strengthens its leadership in the environmental sector, in particular in the treatment of civil and industrial water, thanks to the binding agreement signed today for the purchase of 100% of STA and the related stakes in the subsidiaries that are part of the Sostelia Group (NTW, CID, NPC, Trentino Acque, COMS, Acque della Concordia, Arcobaleno GC). Sostelia is an important Italian private player for technologies and the treatment of industrial and civil water, 65% controlled by Xenon Fidec, an impact private equity fund managed by Xenon AIFM, and with the remaining 35% held by entrepreneurs representing the companies within the group. The transaction has an enterprise value of €138 million. The acquisition by Hera Group is subject to certain customary closing conditions (including notifications and approvals by the competent authorities) and is expected to be completed by the end of March 2026. Once fully integrated, the transaction is estimated to contribute more than €20 million to the consolidated EBITDA growth of Hera Group, in addition to the value of the expected integration synergies. The strategic lines of the transaction The transaction creates a benchmark player in Italy with an integrated offering in the water treatment market - from design and construction (EPC) to operation and maintenance (O&M), up to the treatment and disposal of liquid waste and sludge related to purification processes. It also enables a strong system of synergies with Herambiente, the Hera-controlled subsidiary and Italy’s foremost environmental operator, enhancing quality, efficiency, and service continuity for both public and private customers. Synergies are, in fact, one of the main drivers of value creation. On the one hand, the integration of Sostelia’s services could enable Herambiente to broaden its commercial offering by providing its customers with additional services such as revamping solutions and the design of new plants, or the operation and maintenance of existing private plants, ensuring technical-operational continuity that translates into greater reliability and lower operating costs. On the other hand, Sostelia’s customer portfolio represents a significant opportunity for Herambiente to integrate its own service offering. Among the key elements underpinning the industrial synergy of the acquisition, the know-how developed by Sostelia and Hera Group in the integrated water cycle - both civil and industrial - also stands out. Hera Group can already boast many years of experience deriving from the direct management of dozens of owned plants dedicated to civil wastewater treatment in the served territories and to the treatment of liquids from industrial waste. For its part, Sostelia also provides integrated services and cutting-edge technologies for the treatment of industrial wastewater and sludge, for water resource recovery, and to address the new challenges linked to the recent EU Directive 2024/3019, which introduces stricter obligations on the treatment of urban wastewater. An example is solutions for PFAS abatement, aimed at reducing the environmental impact of these pollutants. More generally, the combination of Sostelia’s technical expertise, plant infrastructure, and commercial capability will enable Hera Group to expand its customer base, diversify revenues, and increase business resilience in a sector that requires speed of intervention, high quality of service, and continuous innovation. The Sostelia Group in figures The Sostelia Group has a base of over 1,200 plants under management, more than 1,200 active customers, around 350 employees, and its economic and financial profile confirms the industrial solidity of the transaction. About 70% of the activity is focused on industrial customers; in terms of business lines, about half of revenues comes from water treatment solutions - an essential gateway to long-term management and maintenance contracts - while the remaining part comes from ancillary services. Commercial diversification is broad, with a portfolio that combines large industrial players in the private market and significant public contracts in the municipal segment and, geographically, strong coverage of Northern Italy and an already established international presence that generates about 10% of revenues. The company also has a direct presence in waste treatment, thanks to an advanced liquid waste treatment plant in Casalmaggiore (Cremona) complementary to Herambiente’s plant network. “The acquisition of an industrial company such as Sostelia, a leader in water treatment with advanced technologies, research and development, and high-level know-how, strengthens Hera Group’s positioning in the two strategic sectors of water and waste. The reference scenario is marked by stricter regulations, such as EU Directive 2024/3019 on wastewater, and by an increasingly severe water deficit because it is expected that water demand will grow, due to industrial reconfiguration, while available resources will shrink, as a result of climate change. This context will drive investments in water treatment, saving, and reuse, fostering growth in demand for advanced civil and industrial water treatment solutions. We thus add another fundamental building block within our waste value chain and continue the path launched in recent years, which has already seen the entry into our corporate perimeter of players such as Aliplast and ACR Reggiani, with the aim of expanding and diversifying services for civil and industrial customers,” says Orazio Iacono, Chief Executive Officer of Hera Group. “Setting aside the customary phrases typical of these occasions, I would only like to underline how in less than 3 years, with an industrial approach, we have been able to create a group that guarantees a much more solid operating perspective for all employees and customers, given that some of the acquired businesses had a classic generational handover issue to solve. The Xenon Fidec fund, launched in July 2023, has created and is developing five other groups in strategic sectors of the circular economy and the energy transition, and with this transaction it completes its second successful exit,” says Danilo Mangano, Chief Executive Officer of Xenon AIFM S.A. In the transaction, Hera was assisted by PwC as strategic advisor and by the GA-Alliance firm for legal matters, while Xenon was assisted by Rothschild & Co. as financial advisor, by LCA for legal matters, and by Deloitte Financial Advisory and Fortlane Partners. Download the press release PR Hera group acquires Sostelia final.pdf 2026-01-19 14:23:00 sede Hera 110x150.jpg

sede Hera 110x150 (1).jpg centrata Last night in Geneva, the Hera Group was awarded the EIPM–Peter Kraljic Award 2025 in the “Virtuous Ecosystem Leader” category, as part of the 16th edition of the international recognition dedicated to excellence in procurement. Hera is the only Italian company and one of six organizations worldwide to be honoured this year. The award was accepted by Marco Del Giaccio, Hera Group’s Director of Procurement and Contracts, during the gala dinner of the EIPM Conference (European Institute of Purchasing Management), a global centre of excellence and reference point for applied research, education, coaching and certification in Procurement and Supply Chain Management. The EIPM–Peter Kraljic Awards, named after Peter Kraljic—one of the founders of modern procurement management and creator of the well-known purchasing portfolio model—were established in 2010 to recognize procurement organizations that represent an international benchmark in terms of efficiency, creativity, innovation and attention to environmental and social impacts. Among Italian companies, prior to Hera Group, only Enel had received this award, in 2019. Five award categories were presented this year—Circular Economy Footprint, Collaborative Value Creation, Industry Shaper & AI Pioneer, Innovation and Strategic Impact, and Virtuous Ecosystem Leader. Hera Group won in the latter category, receiving recognition “for creating shared value within its industrial ecosystem, implementing a highly impactful supplier skills development programme, and promoting individual learning and development opportunities,” according to the official citation. The award acknowledges the path undertaken by Hera Group to integrate ethical and responsibility principles throughout its entire supply chain, formalised over the years through guiding documents such as the Code of Ethics, the Good Work Pact, and the Code of Conduct, which represents a true sustainability pact with suppliers. The award selection process is particularly rigorous. It is based on the EFQM model and includes the assessment of 99 practices and metrics, followed by in-depth interviews and a full-day audit conducted by experts, involving multiple corporate functions. The final decision is made by a jury chaired by Dr. Peter Kraljic. Commenting on the award, Marco Del Giaccio, Director of Procurement and Contracts of the Hera Group, said: “Receiving the EIPM–Peter Kraljic Award is a great honour and is especially rewarding as it confirms that we are moving in the right direction. In recent years, our Procurement Department has undergone a profound transformation, assuming an increasingly strategic role within the Group and developing a strong ability to respond efficiently and promptly to emergency situations that have become more frequent and intense. I am referring to the raw materials and energy cost crises of 2022, the floods of 2023 and 2024, and the current environment of significant uncertainty regarding costs and interest rates. We have succeeded in maximizing economic value creation while simultaneously investing in innovation, sustainability and a strong focus on ethical and social issues across the entire supply chain. I would like to thank all Hera Group colleagues who, with enthusiasm and professionalism, contributed to this achievement and ensured effective cross-functional collaboration throughout all stages of the selection process, from interviews to the audit. Above all, this award is a confirmation of our ability to work as a team.” Download the press release 20251212 Hera Group wins the EIPM Peter Kraljic Award 2025.pdf 2025-12-12 17:11:00 sede Hera 110x150.jpg

sede Hera 110x150.jpg centrata 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). Download the press release 20251209_Gruppo Hera & Caviro renewal.pdf 2025-12-09 12:39:00 sede Hera 110x150.jpg