Category: Press Releases Price Sensitive

Investments of € 7.8 billion for the development and digital transformation of assets, strengthening in Greece, and becoming a key player in the water distribution and energy efficiency sectors, while continuing to play a leading role in achieving EU climate goals. Dividend policy updated and extended until 2026.

London, June 15, 2023 – Italgas CEO, Paolo Gallo, presents today to analysts and investors the Group’s Strategic Plan for the period 2023-2029, approved today by the Company’s Board of Directors chaired by Benedetta Navarra.

The new plan includes total investments of €7.8 billion, mainly dedicated to interventions for asset development and gas distribution activities in Italy and Greece, energy efficiency activities, and water sector development. In this sector, following the recently announced acquisition agreements of Veolia’s assets, the Group expects to seize additional growth opportunities.

The 2023-2029 plan also confirms a strong commitment to creating a fully digitized network, ready for the distribution of renewable gas and therefore serving the ecological transition.

In line with the strategic choices made in recent years by the Group, the Plan aims to promote the ecological transition while ensuring energy security and cost competitiveness of energy, benefiting both companies and households.

The Group can rely on a solid and efficient financial structure – built in previous years – despite a more volatile macroeconomic scenario. Thanks to this financial structure, the new dividend policy, extended until 2026, continues to provide shareholders with the opportunity to benefit from growth through a payout ratio of 65%, while also offering protection with a minimum annual growth guarantee of 4%¹.

The plan revolves around ESG principles and addresses sustainability challenges by confirming net energy consumption reduction targets and Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions reduction targets for the entire Group, including Depa Infrastructure, by 2028 and 2030, in line with the carbon neutrality target by 2050. To further drive change, it also introduces new targets related to gender pay equity and the development and valorization of skills and resources.

Highlight 

• Total investments amounting to €7.8 billion.
• €4.6 billion for the development, digitalization, and repurposing of the Italian gas distribution network.
• €0.9 billion for the development of the distribution network in Greece to support the country’s decarbonization goals.
• €0.8 billion to accelerate growth in the water and energy efficiency sectors.
• €1.5 billion for Atem tenders.
• Optimization of the financial structure, maintaining solid investment-grade ratios.
• Dividend policy: Extension of the dividend policy until 2026, with a confirmed payout ratio of 65% and a 4% DPS growth floor, now based on the 2022 figures.
• Goals for reducing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 34% by 2028 and 42% by 2030, Scope 3 (supply chain) emissions by 30% by 2028 and 33% by 2030, and energy consumption by 27% by 2028 and 33% by 2030 (baseline 2020²).
• “Net Zero” target by 2050.
• Strong focus on the people driving the ecological transition, with an emphasis on training and promoting diversity, equal opportunities, and inclusion

Italgas CEO, Paolo Gallo, stated:

 Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the EU has been grappling with a challenging equation that sees the ecological transition as an essential goal but not at any cost. It is necessary to ensure energy security and an appropriate level of energy costs for families and businesses.

 The vision and strategic choices made in recent years position Italgas to significantly contribute to this solution through digitalized, flexible, and intelligent networks capable of accommodating renewable gas. These networks enable source diversification, consumption decarbonization, and greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness.

With €7.8 billion, the Group reaffirms its position among the leading industrial entities capable of leveraging its design, investment, and value creation capabilities to serve the sustainable development objectives of the countries in which it operates.

The largest portion of investments is once again dedicated to the development, digital transformation, and repurposing of the gas distribution network. After twenty years, this network now extends to Greece, where the application of Italgas’ most advanced technologies in the sector will enhance the efficiency and quality of gas distribution services and the work of Depa Infrastructure Group’s personnel.

Water distribution and energy efficiency represent two important sectors for the Group’s diversification and development. With €800 million, we aim to become a benchmark player in these sectors, leveraging the technologies developed for gas. The digitalization of water networks and energy efficiency are drivers capable of delivering more efficient services, reducing losses, and generating wealth for communities and regions.

Digitalization, decarbonization, circular economy, training, diversity, and inclusion remain strategic factors for achieving our growth objectives. The results will depend on our ability to continue betting on innovation and leveraging it through our people.

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¹Compared to the 2022 dividend.

²Calculated on the entire Group perimeter.

Milan, June 12, 2023 – Considering the national mourning declared for June 14th, 2023 following the passing of President Silvio Berlusconi, Italgas informs that the Board of Directors meeting scheduled for June 13, aimed at approving the 2023-2029 Strategic Plan, has been postponed to June 15.

Consequently, the presentation of the Strategic Plan to the financial community will also take place on the same day, June 15^th 2023.

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Italgas posticipa il Consiglio di Amministrazione per l’approvazione del piano strategico 2023-2029

Milano, 12 giugno 2023 – In considerazione del lutto nazionale proclamato per il 14 giugno, Italgas informa che il Consiglio di Amministrazione convocato il 13 giugno per l’approvazione del Piano Strategico 2023-2029 è stato rinviato al 15 giugno.

Conseguentemente, anche la presentazione alla comunità finanziaria del Piano Strategico avverrà nella stessa data, 15 giugno 2023.

Milan, 4 May 2023 – Italgas’ Board of Directors, which met today chaired by Benedetta Navarra, having heard the favourable opinion of the Board of Statutory Auditors, resolved to appoint Gianfranco Amoroso as the Officer responsible for the preparation of financial reports pursuant to Article 154-bis of Legislative Decree 59/98, to replace Giovanni Mercante, who has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of the Greek subsidiary DEPA Infrastructure.

Gianfranco Amoroso has been Chief Financial Officer of Italgas since 1 June 2021.

To date, as far as the Company is aware, Gianfranco Amoroso holds 56,592 shares in Italgas (equal to approximately 0.006% of the share capital) and Giovanni Mercante holds 21,917 shares in Italgas (equal to approximately 0.002% of the share capital).

The curriculum vitae of Gianfranco Amoroso is available on the Company website at https://www.italgas.it/en/gianfranco-amoroso/ .

Milan, 4 May 2023 – The Italgas’ Board of Directors, which met today chaired by Benedetta Navarra, has approved the consolidated results as at 31 March 2023 (unaudited).

Key figures

Consolidated economic and financial highlights:

• Total revenues: € 479.9 million (+35.6%)
• Gross operating margin (EBITDA): € 297.2 million (+18.9%)
• Operating profit (EBIT): € 172.5 million (+21.6%)
• Net profit attributable to the Group: € 103.6 million (+16.5%)
• Technical investments: € 175.1 million
• Cash flow from operating activities: € 107.2 million
• Net financial debt (excluding the effects pursuant to IFRS 16)¹: € 6,016.8 million
• Net financial debt ²: € 6,089.5 million

Operating highlights (including affiliates):

• Municipalities in gas distribution concessions: 2,045
• Number of active meters: 7.961 million
• Gas distribution network: 81,401 Km

Sustainability highlights:

• 24.7 10³ tCO₂ eq Scope 1 and 2 (-6.4%)
• Net energy consumption: 172.3 TJ (-17.3%)
• 25,789 km of network inspected (+24.3%)
• Fugitive emissions/km investigated: 35.02 Sm³/km (-21.8%)

In the first three months of 2023 Italgas Group’s operational activities continue in order to achieve the network’s digital transformation objectives and the sustainability targets set by the Sustainable Value Creation Plan contained in the 2022-2028 Strategic Plan. Italgas’ distribution networks – smart, digital and flexible – are ready to accommodate renewable gases, such as biomethane, hydrogen and synthetic methane, and to act as a driving force for the ecological transition while guaranteeing energy security and competitive costs for industries and citizens.

Key economic indicators continue to grow, thanks to major investments in the digitization of assets, processes and people that confirm the pivotal role of technological innovation in the Group’s development path.

During the period, € 175.1 million of investments were made, mainly for the extension, digital transformation and repurposing of networks. More specifically, 213 kilometres of new pipelines were laid in the first quarter of 2023.

The EBITDA for the first three months of 2023 amounted to € 297.2 million (+18.9% compared to 31 March 2022) and net profit attributable to the Group was € 103.6 million (+16.5% compared to 31 March 2022).

With reference to sustainability objectives, the significant contribution of the various innovation, digitisation and energy efficiency initiatives, both in the industrial and civil sectors, as well as the training activities aimed at informing employees on energy efficiency issues, have allowed the Group to continue on its path towards reducing net energy consumption (-17.3%) and Scope 1 and 2 climate-changing emissions (-6.4%), also in view of the inclusion of the DEPA Infrastructure Group’s contributions related to 2023.

 

Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas, commented:

The results achieved in the first quarter allow us to start 2023 under the banner of growth both in terms of performance and the business development in the countries where we operate.

All economic indicators showed double-digit growth, with EBITDA increasing by 18.9% to almost € 300 million and Group Net Profit exceeding € 100 million, up 16.5% compared to the first quarter of last year, thanks also to the contribution of the activities in Greece and the ESCo company.

The € 175 million invested in this first quarter further accelerated the digital transformation of the network that makes our networks ready to accommodate the renewable gases. Such gases are strategic for an ecological transition that ensures, in line with EU objectives, energy security and cost competitiveness for citizens and businesses.

Thanks to the commitment of the men and women of the Italgas Group, we are working to provide communities with an increasingly efficient service using cutting-edge technology; the very same technologies that we have laid at the heart of our path towards a decarbonised economy.

 

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¹ The item expresses net financial debt excluding the effects of IFRS 16 payables and the Italgas NewCo shareholder loan, inclusive of interest.

² The item does not include liabilities for € 35.0 million consisting of the pro-rata share of the shareholder loan, including interest, to Italgas Newco S.p.A, subordinated and convertible into shares, subscribed by the shareholder Phaeton Holding SA, deemed not to be financial debt.