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impianto_biometano_110 How can energy amounting to 6 thousand tonnes of oil equivalent be obtained each year, without consuming a single drop of crude oil and thus avoiding 14,600 tonnes of CO2 emissions? As of today, the answer can be found in Sant'Agata Bolognese, just outside the capital city of the Emilia-Romagna region, where the Hera Group has inaugurated a major plant producing biomethane from the organic portion of waste, designed and created on the basis of the most advanced precedents seen in this sector internationally. The opening ceremony - that saw the participation of the region's alderwoman Paola Gazzolo, Hera's top management and the main local and sector institutions - ushered in a new phase in the decarbonisation of energy production, giving further impetus to the circular economy towards which the region has been moving for some time now. Thanks to this plant, indeed, sorted organic waste coming from our houses will serve the community under the form of gas. Once injected into the network, this gas will fuel public and private transportation vehicles running on natural gas, aiding a sector that is increasingly exposed to the issue of carbon dioxide emission. In line with policies adopted by the Region, the National Energy Strategy and the European Union, the Sant'Agata Bolognese plant will now begin extracting value from this 37 million euro investment. The plant furthermore represents an enrichment of the range of plants belonging to Herambiente, the national leader in waste treatment that has been active for years in biogas production for renewable electricity. A 100% renewable combustible from organic waste In terms of volume, the plant is capable of treating 100 thousand tonnes of sorted organic waste each year, in addition to 35 thousand tonnes resulting from plant clipping and pruning. Thanks to the implementation of new and improved technologies in anaerobic digestion and upgrading, in particular, these resources will allow 7.5 million cubic metres of biomethane, a 100% renewable combustible, to be obtained along with 20 thousand tonnes of compost, a bio-fertiliser mainly intended for agriculture. An architectural project conceived to bring the plant and the area served into harmony, minimising its environmental impact With no combustion plants whatsoever, the plant is located within a pre-existing composting site, with no additional land use required for its construction. Planned with an eye to minimising its acoustic and odoriferous impact, the structure furthermore meets architectonic criteria aimed at harmonising it with the surrounding area. Even its outer covering, which will be added over the next few months, will be dense with themes and motifs that relay the sense of what goes on inside: in particular, images will portray vegetation blossoming out of an arid and cracked ground, calling to mind the transformations undergone by the organic product within the plant. "We have been working with biomethane for some time now", comments Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, Executive Chairman of the Hera Group. "Today's inauguration, in particular, is a crowning achievement that represents years of work. Our community will now be served by a plant born out of research, studies and European tenders that allowed us to choose the best of what is currently available on the market. What's more, renewable energies must necessarily become part of industrialisation processes capable of expressing their potential on a large scale. In this sense the Sant'Agata plant is an excellent example that can be replicated elsewhere, above all in light of a regulatory framework that is finally favourable and provides fundamental added value for sector development." "The ribbon has been cut in front of a highly innovative construction project that moves towards an energy transition, pointing in the direction of a low carbon economy: biomethane presents a significant opportunity for reducing the use of fossil fuels and lessening our region's energy footprint, with an eye to a circular economy", states the alderwoman of the Emilia-Romagna Region, Paola Gazzolo. "Renewable energy is a fundamental part of the green turn supported by the Emilia-Romagna government with the policies implemented since the beginning of its mandate. This change of pace is intended to offset the effects of climate change as currently seen and reduce the use of raw materials, promoting recovery and reuse. Precisely because these products and materials are available in limited quantities, we must save them and preserve their value: the project realised by Hera in Sant'Agata is headed in exactly this direction". Pictures of the inauguration of the S. Agata plant Watch the photogallery null null null null null null null null null null null null null Press release Biomethane, the road to green energy now passes through Sant’Agata Bolognese 1._Foto_25_10_18_09_09_40.1540463296.jpg 2._Foto_25_10_18_09_12_26.1540463297.jpg 3._Foto_25_10_18_09_16_07.1540463299.jpg 4._Foto_25_10_18_09_25_03.1540463300.jpg 5._Foto_25_10_18_09_36_08.1540463301.jpg 6._Foto_25_10_18_09_44_46.1540463302.jpg 7._Foto_25_10_18_10_25_35.1540463303.jpg 8._Foto_25_10_18_10_31_05.1540463304.jpg 9._Foto_25_10_18_10_31_09.1540463305.jpg 10._Foto_25_10_18_10_47_16.1540463306.jpg 11._Foto_25_10_18_10_50_02.1540463307.jpg 12._Foto_25_10_18_10_50_18.1540463308.jpg 13._Foto_25_10_18_10_51_06.1540463309.jpg 2019-05-27 Read more null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null null Inaugurated today, just outside Bologna, the first biomethane-from-organic-waste plant created by a multi-utility. Investments totalling 37 million euro have thus given new impetus to the future of renewable energies on an industrial scale, with 7.5 million cubic metres of biomethane and 20 thousand tonnes of compost sustainably fuelling, each year, a range of sectors including motor vehicle transport and agriculture http://ha.gruppohera.it/plants/composting/biometano_project/082.html http://ha.gruppohera.it/plants/main_plants/082.html From waste to biomethane, a circular revolution Herambiente's Main Plants impianto_biometano_110

in_good_waters_110 "In buone acque" turns 10 years old It's the tenth birthday of the "In Good Waters" report that Hera Group prepares to provide detailed and easy-to-read information on the water cycle it manages in 231 municipalities of Emilia-Romagna, Marche, and Triveneto. As the second-largest operator in Italy by volume of water supplied (303 million m3 per year), Hera Group serves over 3.6 million citizens. This report is for them, the everyday users of the water resources the multi-utility manages, to fully inform them on the quality of the water coming out of their taps; a quality that is ensured by strict monitoring. This is proven by the number of analyses carried out last year throughout the company's entire service area: a total of over a million, more than 2,800 per day, on average. The analyses, 38% of which were carried out in the Group's laboratories, also concerned the presence of pesticides and non-regulated aspects, such as emerging pollutants and asbestos fibres. Of the checks carried out, 99.9% yielded results compliant with regulatory limits, confirming the safety of the water Hera distributes. Bologna's water: 134.000 quality assurance analyses In 2017, over a million Bologna residents used a water resource the quality of which was certified by more than 134,000 analyses carried out in the laboratories of the Hera Group and the ASL (local public health authority). The possibility of using tap water on a daily basis depends on the plant resources used by the company to distribute the service: in the Bologna area, tap water comes from 660 sources and travels through more than 9,000 km of aqueduct network, into which 108.4 million m3 of water are fed every year. This ensures a constant and adequate supply. Hera: water-related investments 32% above the Italian average Not only aqueduct but also purification and sewerage; managing the water service means taking care of the entire water cycle, meaning not only its distribution in homes but also the sewerage service and wastewater treatment. This is why the Hera Group has always focused most of its investments in the water sector: in 2017 they exceeded 156 million euro, compared to 130 million euro the previous year (+19%). More specifically, it invested 41% in the mains water network, 32% in the sewer system, and 27% in water treatment. Compared to a national average of 37 euro invested per inhabitant, in the area served by the Hera Group investments in 2017 were about 49 euro per inhabitant. The magnitude of this commitment has allowed Hera to work on more than 35,000 km of its aqueduct network, about 18,600 km of sewerage, 469 water treatment plants and 422 production and drinking water purification plants. All this against a cost of just two euro per thousand litres of tap water, about half of what consumers pay in other European nations. in_good_waters_870 20181003_in_good_waters_def.1564391876.pdf 2019-07-29 in_good_waters_870.1564383254.png Tenth annual appointment with the Group's report on an essential service. The value of the multi-utility's investments in the sector continues to increase: over 156 million euro in 2017 compared to 130 million last year. Excellent quality of the resource supplied, guaranteed by over a million analyses, of which more than 134,000 in the Bologna region alone Read more in_good_waters_110

Infografica_biometano_110 There are three ingredients: circular economy, renewable energy, and gas. But the outcome their combination has just one name, it is called biomethane and is the new way to protect the environment and economic growth. Its potential seems extremely promising. The regulatory scenario is improving, and this is exactly why a major conference will be held on Friday, 21 September in Bologna to enable companies, institutions and trade associations to meet and take stock of the situation. It will be held at the Royal Hotel Carlton, hosted by the Hera Group with the collaboration of the Italian Gas Committee. Italian and international companies will participate, ready to share their experience and research, also in the light of the prospects and opportunities biomethane is opening up on several fronts: from treating organic waste to generating and distributing renewable energy, through the revival of sustainable mobility and the production of natural fertilizers that could give revitalize the entire agro-industrial sector. In addition to the Executive Chairman of the Hera Group Tomaso Tommasi di Vignano, who will inaugurate the conference, the main speakers will include Alessandro Bratti, General Manager of ISPRA, and Giordano Colarullo, General Manager of Utilitalia, who will present the activities of the Biomethane Observatory. The spotlights will also focus on many technical issues related to the production and use of biomethane, with in-depth studies on chemical and sensory research, on the characterization of biomethane, on its monitoring, on the management of the aspects most directly related to distribution, as well as on the matter of odorization, for which Hera and Italgas will present a study. Infografica_biometano_870 20180918_Biometano_a_Bologna_gli_stati_generali_per_la_green_economy_del..._rev_def.1564380704.pdf 2019-07-29 infografica_biometano_1498141070.1535647018.1537263440.1564380703.png Attended by Italian and foreign companies and prominent figures, including the general director of ISPRA Alessandro Bratti, the conference held on Friday, 21 September and organized by Hera in collaboration with the Italian Gas Committee will take stock of the development of biomethane, the progress of its regulatory framework and future prospects http://ha.gruppohera.it/plants/composting/biometano_project/082.html Hera Biomethane Project Read more Infografica_biometano_110

thomson reuters_110 The Hera Group has been confirmed as one of the most interesting companies, in Italy and worldwide, for investors who sustain all those committed to promoting diversity and inclusion. The results, which stem directly from the integration of these policies within the Group's strategy, have been approved by the 2018 edition of Thomson Reuters Diversity and Inclusion Index, whose candidate universe is made up of over 7,000 publicly traded companies worldwide. Hera, with a score of 73.5 points, proved to be the 2nd company in Italy and the 22nd across the world of this international ranking. Moreover, its position within its own sector was outstanding, coming in first worldwide among multi-utilities. The "Diversity and Inclusion Index" is an indicator, conceived and realised by Thomson Reuters, an international giant in financial information, that analyses companies' performances based on a range of factors, grouped into four areas: diversity, inclusion, people development and news & controversies. The performances of the Hera Group were therefore highly positive: giving concrete form to the strategic relevance of its diversity and inclusion policies, this multi-utility is indeed continuing its work in developing internal and personalised career paths, an approach that allowed the company to reach an amount of women in roles with responsibility coming to 31.3% in 2017. Rising overall, the percentage of female personnel furthermore ranked above the sector average (24.3%, as compared to 15.9%). This data is accompanied by a percentage of employees with disabilities that reaches 4.3% of the company's total workforce and also includes roles in management. From all these points of view, the contribution coming from training is significant, with particularly important initiatives such as leadership and smart working courses favouring the development of human resources, based on factors including the diverse characteristics of each resource (gender, age, training, ability, inclination and ability). Further positive effects no doubt derived from the corporate welfare plan, which sustains employees and their families in many different forms. Not by chance, encouraging results continue to emerge from this enquiry into the Group's corporate milieu, with further confirmation coming from a complete lack of controversies involving diversity and inclusion. Lastly, many initiatives make plurality management concrete, including agreements with daycare centres, summer camps, a range of programmes aimed at creating a positive work-life balance and the arrangements made for leave time, available not only for mums and dads but also for those who provide assistance to relatives or the elderly. The Hera Group's commitment to policies promoting inclusion and diversity, in any case, has a long history. It was first consolidated in 2009, when the Charter for equal opportunity and equality on the workplace was signed: with this document the company engaged, alongside other private and public bodies, in the struggle against discrimination on the workplace. The introduction in 2011 of a Diversity Manager, whose task involves giving even greater emphasis to developing policies aimed at inclusion and the valorisation of diversity, was also fundamental. Lastly, for some time now Hera has adhered to the fifth of the United Nation's objectives for sustainable development, specifically dedicated to gender equality. thomson reuters_870 20180906_Hera_ranked_once_again_in_top_25_of_the_Thomson_Reuters_Diversity_and_Inclusion_Index.1536159314.pdf 2018-09-05 Read more Logo_diversity_and_inclusion_870png.1536149260.png Conceived to provide orientation for investors showing interest towards companies committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and people development, this index evaluates over 7,000 of the world's publically listed companies and this year, once again, includes the Group among the most outstanding firms. With 73.5 points overall, Hera indeed comes in 2nd in Italy and 22nd worldwide. And, among multi-utilities, it ranks first in the world thomson reuters_110