INRETE: a new Hera Group company for gas and energy distribution
Inrete will be operational as of 1st July 2016.
The Hera S.p.A. Board of Directors has approved today, with effect from 1 July 2016, a transferral of the corporate branch responsible for gas and electricity distribution to Inrete Distribuzione Energia, a company 100% held by the multi-utility.
This marks the final stage of the process of unbundling foreseen by national sector regulations (Aeegsi resolution 296/2015), in order to separate management of regulated activities (gas and energy distribution) from management of deregulated activities (production, sales and procurement).
Operating in gas and electricity distribution in Emilia-Romagna, Inrete will serve over 1.1 million gas customers across 140 municipalities, with a gas network totalling approximately 14 thousand km and over 260 thousand electricity customers in 29 municipalities, thanks to an over 10 thousand-km electrical grid.
In keeping with the guidelines that the Group has always followed, Inrete will continue to show full commitment in the field of network safety and control, with the aim of confirming its excellent service quality standards, consistently above the minimum levels required by the Authority. Inrete will furthermore be able to make use of Hera's innovative Remote Control Centre, a state-of-the-art facility located in Forlì that meets the highest European standards and guarantees, across the entire area served, an integrated management of all the Group's plants and water, gas and remote heating networks, receiving and coordinating rapid response calls. Similar services for all Inrete's plants and power grids will be provided by the Group's Electricity Remote Control Centre, located in Modena.
Alessandro Baroncini has been nominated CEO of Inrete, after having previously acted as Energy Networks Manager in the parent company.
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.
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