Our Story

Hera is established on November 1st 2002, as a result of the merger of 11 multiutility companies operating in adjacent areas in Northern Italy. The objective is to improve the quality of services to citizens in basic areas such as energy, water and environmental services, taking advantage of the significant synergies and efficiency levels made possible by this operation. Hera’s partners are 139 municipalities stretching from Bologna to the coast. The operating companies integrated within Hera are: AMF (Faenza), Ami (Imola), Amia (Rimini), Amir (Rimini), Area (Ravenna), ASC (Cesenatico), Seabo (Bologna), Sis (S.Giovanni in Marignano), Taularia (Imola), TeAm (Lugo) and Unica (Forlì-Cesena).

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In June 2004, Hera began its territorial expansion strategy with the acquisition of the Ravenna Ecological Centre by Ambiente Spa, an Eni Group Company. The merger of the Ferrara-based company Agea with Hera was concluded in December. The same month, Hera acquired 39% of SET from Rätia Energie AG and participated in the creation and management of the 400 MWe combined cycle power plant in Teverola, near Caserta.

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In October, Hera launched a bond issue in the international market for a total of between €400 and €500 million to help finance the Group’s development processes, which included the integration of Meta, a multi-utility in Modena. The company’s territorial proximity and extensive business portfolio allowed synergies generating an additional €20 million per year in terms of consolidated consolidated Gross Operating Margin (EBITDA). With the merger, the HERA Group became the 2nd largest operator in the sector, with an annual turnover of around €1.8 billion.

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In January, Moody’s assigned an A1 rating to the HERA Group for the first time, an assessment that reflected its financial strength. At the end of June, the Group incorporated Geat Distribuzione Gas Spa (Riccione) and, on 27 July, it purchased 2.5 million shares in Aspes Multiservizi (Pesaro). In August, Hera executed the purchase of 46.5% of SAT Spa (Modena), with the remaining portion of the share capital held by five municipalities in the province

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From this year, the Hera board of directors began to approve the sustainability report together with the annual financial report and present it to the Shareholders’ meeting. Hera Comm Marche was established at the end of June, following the transfer of Megas (Urbino) to Hera. The multi-utility then participated in the merger between Megas and Aspes (Pesaro) to create Marche Multiservizi. At the end of September, a new idea for more welcoming and customer-friendly help desks was implemented in Bologna, and in November, the Group received the “Oscar di Bilancio” award, assigned to companies for the transparency, promptness and quality of their financial reporting.

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In May, Hera inaugurated its regional remote control centre in Forlì: a room almost 400 m2, with a 60 m2 giant screen, that can remotely monitor 100,000 points in real time. The Her@ Online desk was introduced in September, with new interactive services to help customers manage their transactions with the multi-utility quickly and easily, at any time of the day. At the end of the year, a new waste to energy plant in Modena was switched on for the first time, with the new system configuration becoming fully operational in in 2010.

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At the end of March, the HERA Group’s new unified laboratory and service system was launched in Forlì, providing services for safety, quality control and the environment. For the same purposes, Herambiente, a Group company created for constantly improved integrated waste cycle management, was founded on 1 July, thanks to an endowment of first-rate facilities. These had increased to over 90, with around 1,400 specialised operators and a dedicated business structure. Thus, its successful strategic approach has enabled it to assume a prominent role in the Italian market. At the end of September, an 80 MWe cogeneration plant was inaugurated in Imola, with extremely modern facilities in terms of their technology and architecture. The Group’s continued its expansion policy in October, acquiring 25% of AIMAG, a multi-utility based in Modena. Transparency is also required in online communication, and Hera ended the year at second place in Hallvarsson & Halvarsson Webranking for online communication.

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In October, the Italian financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore published the results of the “CSR Online Awards 2010” survey, conducted by Lundquist, which measures how companies communicate Corporate Social Responsibility on the Internet: Hera topped the Italian ratings, with 77 points, for its ability to use its website in an innovative and engaging way.

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Herambiente signed an agreement in January with the wine producer Caviro to provide organic matter for the biomass plant in the Caviro facilities in Faenza, with considerable savings in CO2. In September, Hera became the first company in Europe to launch various initiatives dedicated to electric cars, including “HeraMobility”. In October, the utility released a free app, the “Rifiutologo”, which converts smartphones and tablets in personal assistants for separate waste collection. In December, after a considerable period of research, HerAcademy, the Group’s Corporate University, was born.

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Hera’s first decade closed with a significant increase in all indicators, from overall investments (totalling €3.5 billion) to operational investments (€287.9 million). In April, Hera inaugurated Disidrat in Ravenna, one of the most important sludge treatment plants in Europe. The plant enabled the amount of material recovered to be doubled, with a reduction in waste destined for landfills. In May, IR Global Rankings presented Hera with an international award for the “Best Ranked IR Websites in Europe”: the group’s website was rated in the top 5 in Europe for its Investor Relations section.

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The year began with Hera’s expansion to Triveneto, with Acegas-Aps Spa in Padua and Trieste joining the group. In May, “HeraLab”, the multi-utility’s new project for dialogue with the stakeholders operating in local areas, was launched in Bologna. The Voltana biodigester (Ravenna) was inaugurated in November. The plant gains the maximum advantage from the separate collection of organic waste, with combustion-free production of high quality compost and renewable electrical energy.

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At the start of the year, the multi-utility received an award from Federambiente for good practices aimed at the prevention of waste production, while in February, it came first in the Top Utility ratings and second in those for Top Employer. In March, Hera launched “Cambia il finale” (“Change the Ending”) for the recycling of bulky waste that can still be used, in order to promote the circular economy. Herambiente Servizi Industriali, offering industrial waste management solutions, was launched at the end of the month and the Group’s most important waste sorting plant was inaugurated in Granarolo, with optical reading and a ballistic separator. At the end of June, the multi-utility launched a ten-year bond fund to finance programs related to sustainability. After approval of the planned merger between Hera and Amga (Udine), AcegasApsAmga was founded on 1 July to operate in Tiveneto.

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Hera Servizi Energia, a reference partner for energy efficiency services, was founded on 1 January through the merger between Sinergia and Hera Energie. On the same topic, in April, Hera received the M&A award 2015 for its integration with Amga Udine. At the end of June, operations began at the upgraded waste water treatment plant in Santa Giustina (Rimini), Europe’s largest membrane ultrafiltration treatment facility, while in October, the project was presented for the upgrading of the Servola waste water treatment plant in Trieste. After years of research and investments, in September, Hera presented HergoAmbiente, an “intelligent” system for the integrated management of waste collection and street cleaning. The year ended with the acquisition of Alento Gas (in Abruzzo), Waste Recycling (Pisa) and some waste management branches of Geo Nova (Treviso), enabling the Hera Group to further extend its corporate perimeter.

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In February, “Un Pozzo di Scienza” (“A Wealth of Knowledge”), Hera’s project for schools, celebrated its 10th anniversary. Potential Park rated the group among the top-ten Italian companies chosen by recent graduates seeking work online, while the new HergoAmbiente technology won the multi-utility the Smau Bologna award. This was also a year in which Hera increased its presence in Abruzzo, acquiring Julia Servizi Più (Teramo) in April and Gran Sasso (Aquila) in October. INRETE Distribuzione Energia, a company created by Hera to manage its natural gas and electricity distribution activities, became operational from 1 July, in compliance with the requirements laid down by AEEGSI (Italian Regulatory Authority for Electricity Gas and Water). Following Rifiutologo, Hera launched a new app, Acquologo, in July, providing comprehensive information on the local water supply. Finally, HERAtech, a company that manages services including connections, technical opinions and urban developments for the multi-utility, was launched in November.

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In January, Herambiente, together with Aligroup Srl, signed the acquisition of Treviso-based Aliplast, an outstanding Italian company in the collection, recycling and regeneration of plastic waste. With this agreement, the Group consolidated its leading position in alignment with the principles of the circular economy, where waste is converted into resources. In March, Hera began the construction of a plant in Sant’Agata Bolognese, which, when fully operational, will be able to produce 20,000 tons of high-quality natural fertiliser and 7.5 million cubic metres of biomethane – a 100% renewable fuel – each year. For the opening of the G7 Environmental meeting in Bologna, from 5 to 12 June, Hera organised a conference on the circular economy, with Ellen MacArthur as guest of honour. In October, the Ellen McArthur Foundation, the world’s first and most active organisation in this sector, included the Hera Group in its prestigious international programme CE100, which brings together leading companies that distinguish themselves for their commitment to the transition towards a circular economy. In October, Hera inaugurated its new cogeneration plant in Bologna, the result of a €17 million investment, which can supply electricity and hot water to 8,000 homes, allowing a reduction in CO₂ emissions and ensuring greater energy reliability and availability.

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At the beginning of the year, Hera Group signed the commitment of CEO Water Mandate, a UN Global Compact initiative that mobilizes business leaders on sustainable water stewardship. Hera is the second Italian company to sign the commitment. In April, the Group joined Leading Utilities of the World (LUOW), a global network of the world’s most successful and innovative water and wastewater utilities. Membership is the gold standard of utility performance. A month later, the multiutility took out through four banks a new EUR 200 million sustainable loan called “ESG Linked RCF Facility”, which directly links the financial terms of a loan to predetermined environmental, social and governance goals (ESG). At the gates of Bologna, Hera Group will be inaugurating in October the first bio-waste biomethane plant built by a multiutility, with an annual production capacity of 7.5 million cubic meters of biomethane and 20 thousand tons of compost. In November, Hera Group and Eni will be signing a partnership to process waste vegetable oil into biofuel for the vehicles the multiutility uses for the collection of waste.

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In March, Hera Group was listed on FTSE-MIB, the stock market index of Borsa Italiana, which includes the 40 largest stocks of Piazza Affari. In its 2019 Sustainability Report, Hera Group updated the three drivers of change: Efficient use of Energy, Efficient use of Resources, Innovation and Contribution to Development. In July, the Group acquired the company Pistoia Ambiente, in this way expanding its operations in Tuscany and consolidating its leadership in environmental services to companies. In October SCART, Hera Group’s art project for the creation of waste-art, celebrates its 20th anniversary. In November, the Group’s annual conference of its Corporate University, HerAcademy, is dedicated to “purpose”, intended as the central purpose of business activities. In December, the multiutility receives the FIRE – Energy Manager award, making it one of the Italian companies most capable of promoting the rational use of energy. Lastly, in December, the Hera Group finalises its partnership with Ascopiave in the energy business. Through EstEnergy, the Partnership between Hera Group and Ascopiave creates the largest energy operator in North-East Italy.

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The Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index (GEI) ranks Hera Group as one of the 325 most committed companies, at a global level, to promoting gender equality through the development of specific policies and projects. In January, the Group became a member of international planning team of SDG Action Manager, the tool launched by United Nations Global Compact and BLAB to mobilize the participation of all economic sectors in the creation of a Common Global Agenda. Il Rifiutologo, Hera Group’s app that helps users correctly separate waste of high quality, now has a voice. Il Rifiutologo talks thanks to Alexa, Amazon’s artificial intelligence. After months of work, in July, an important part of the Rimini Seawater Protection Plan, the imposing waterworks that will eliminate discharges into the sea, was completed. Beneath the new overlooks, two pools the size of 20 Olympic-sized swimming pools protect the sewerage system. A strategic agreement for the construction of a plant with MyReplast technology. This is the agreement signed by Aliplast, a company of Hera Group, and NextChem, a company of the Maire Tecnimont Group. The new plant has a production capacity of 30 thousand tons of polymers per year. The Group is the first Italian multiutility listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI), one of the most authoritative stock market indices in the world for assessing social responsibility, managed by S&P Global. In November, a new company was created by Eni and Hera for the stewardship of industrial waste in Ravenna. The agreement includes the construction of a state-of-the-art environmental platform, with a capacity to process up to 60,000 tons of special waste a year.

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Experimenting and developing solutions for the decarbonisation of Emilia-Romagna. This is the goal for which, at the beginning of the year, Hera Group and Snam signed a letter of intent to collaborate in the development of hydrogen, starting from power-to-gas technology. Thanks to the complete, conscious integration of sustainability policies into business strategies, the multiutility was ranked first in the 2021 Integrated Governance Index, an authoritative model for analysing ESG factors. In June, the Group, with its subsidiary Herambiente, acquired 70% of Recycla, a company of Friuli that manages three platforms for solid and liquid industrial waste. This was followed shortly afterwards by the acquisition of the Tuscan company SEA Ambiente and 80% of the Vallortigara Group. The Group’s focus on sustainability has once been again recognised with its inclusion in the MIB ESG Index, the first blue-chip index for Italy dedicated to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) best practices. In November, the temporary grouping of companies (RTI) between Hera S.p.A., Giacomo Brodolini Soc. Coop and Consorzio Stabile Ecobi was awarded the tender for waste stewardship in the Bologna basin. The award comes closely after those for waste stewardship in the Ravenna and Cesena basins, in 2019, the Modena plain and mountain area, in November 2021, and the tender for the stewardship of the integrated water service in the province of Rimini. NexMeter, the Hera Group’s 4.0 gas smart meter, the first of its kind in terms of safety features, is ready for the first network experiment with hydrogen; the fact that it is produced with recycled plastic completes Hera Group’s commitment to energy transition and circularity. To celebrate 20 years in business of Webranking, Lundquist drafts a classification of the companies which have most appeared in the Italian Top Ten. Over the last twenty years, we have featured on this list 16 times, thus achieving third place in the ‘award’ ranking.

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On 1 November 2022, Hera Group turned 20 years old. Important anniversaries are celebrated with a memorable symbol: and to celebrate our 20th anniversary, we have created a brand to make this milestone even more special. With this logo, we want to convey inclusiveness, closeness and sharing, commitment and responsibility, and our roots in the territory. The creative concept focuses on people and their central role in building the present and planning the future. “Twenty years together”, the claim, strengthens the participatory character with which all stakeholders, citizens, customers and the workers of Hera Group identify themselves. The number 20 is in the colours of the Group’s businesses, emphasising Hera’s nature as a multi-service and the dynamism that has allowed us to grow together with the communities where we work. Three decentralised rings form the zero, in a composition that conveys solidity and fluidity, with a strong drive forwards, towards the future, where tradition and innovation go hand in hand. The colours of the rings are the colours of energy, water and the environment, to emphasise the identity of Hera Group and the purpose for which we exist: to offer water, energy and environmental services with a business model which creates value that we share with our stakeholders, promoting social equity and contributing to achieving carbon neutrality, the regeneration of resources and the resilience of the system of the services managed, for the benefit of customers, the ecosystem of the territory and future generations. The logo of our twentieth anniversary will therefore be used in all Hera Group’s communications for the whole of 2022, in order to retrace the stages of its growth while maximising its future development in a journey shared with the communities where Hera Group works. We are proud of our “Twenty years together”: twenty years of work for people and the environment, closeness to the territory, an aptitude for innovation and commitment to excellence.

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