During 2021, Hera achieved significant growth in all key indicators of the Profit and Loss Account, from EBITDA, which increased by 9%, to Net Profit post minorities, which rose by 10.2%.

All business areas brought a positive contribution to consolidated EBITDA, with Energy and Waste leading the progress, increasing respectively by 14.9% and 13.1%.

The results of the first nine months of 2021 show that Hera is pursuing the targets indicated in its long-term strategy. Results delivered quarter after quarter prove consistency with these commitments and flexibility in their achievement even against changing contexts.

First-half 2021 results confirm that Hera is following the path indicated in the Business Plan, while consistently implementing a circular economy model and pursuing its commitment – attested by STBi – to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The strong growth that the Group achieved in 1H 2021 EBITDA derives more than 54% from the contribution of the Energy area, which sees a return to more normal operating conditions compared to the first half of 2020, as a result of less severe anti-Covid restrictions and more favourable weather conditions.

In first-quarter 2021, Energy areas drove the EBITDA of Hera Group. Overall, EBITDA grew by 3.7%, against a scenario that proved to be less penalizing than that of the same period of 2020, in terms of both weather conditions and severity of anti-Covid restrictions.

Quarterly results provide a clear picture. On the one hand, Hera is constantly looking for new efficiencies, especially through innovation; on the other hand, it continues to expand its customer base in a selective way, by leveraging also on value-added services and high-impact activities for the implementation of circular economy. With such a model, Hera achieves healthy returns.

In 2020, Hera leveraged the benefits resulting both from the recent acquisitions and from the synergies already extracted in the first year of their management, to continue the growth path indicated in the Business Plan. Thus, the Group achieved a 3.5% increase at EBITDA level, despite the challenging environment due to the economic effects of the restrictions to fight the spread of Covid-19 and the extremely mild weather conditions. A strong cash generation allowed for a reduction in the Net Financial Debt at year-end, with a significant improvement of Hera’s financial profile.
The last few months of the year showed a recovery in the demand from industrial clients, thus proving that Hera’s business portfolio is well structured and can offer both resilience in uncertain times and growth opportunities when the macroeconomic scenario is improving.

Hera’s strategic review presents a clear path of sustainable development for the long term and a five-year Plan that allocates 3.2 bn€ investments to fuel growth.
Therefore, 2024 EBITDA is expected to reach 1.3 bn€, of which approximately 50% from Shared- Value projects.
Within the strategic framework expressed in the GROWTH acronym – Green, Resilience and Regeneration, Opportunities, Welfare, Technology, Humans – Hera has shaped a number of specific projects to achieve, in its multiutility business, the targets set in terms of circularity, carbon neutrality and technology innovation, in full compliance with the guidelines of the regulation and the objectives of international economic policies.

Despite an external context that proved to be extremely challenging due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in the first nine months of 2020 Hera managed to post higher results both at EBITDA level and at the P&L bottom line.

With a careful and responsible approach towards all stakeholders, Hera successfully faced and managed the risks related to the virus outbreak, thus neutralizing the impacts of the restrictions introduced to contain the health emergency.

In the first half of 2020, amid the pandemic-induced emergency, Hera has fulfilled its commitments toward stakeholders: it has guaranteed continuity of customer service while safeguarding the health of its employees; it has remunerated its shareholders with the 10 euro cent dividend envisaged in the Business Plan; it has made its presence felt the areas in which it operates with material aid to healthcare facilities. It has also intervened to support customers in the most fragile situations and suppliers in temporary difficulties.

The performance in the first quarter of 2020 shows that Hera continues on the development growth path that has built over the years, by leveraging organic growth and the expansion achieved in its perimeter. This reflects a resilient business model and the M&A deals carried out in the past fiscal year; these two levers succeeded in offsetting the impacts from an exceptionally mild winter season and the Covid-19 emergency measures, which have especially affected the demand of energy and waste services.