Le performance of the Italian utilities they continue to be positive despite the difficult economic context in which they operate. This is what emerges fromXI edition of the Top Utility report, the consulting firm's think tank Althesys, founded and led by Professor Alessandro Marangoni, which analyzed i 2021 results of the 100 largest companies Italian energy, water, gas and waste industries. The study named “The performance of Italian utilities. Analysis of the 100 largest energy, water, gas and waste companies” was presented today at the Milan Chamber of Commerce on the occasion of the traditional awards ceremony for excellent companies in the sector.
Top Utility: Report data
In the 2021 turnover of the hundred largest Italian utilities it reached i 152 billion euros, an increase of 18,6% compared to pre-covid levels of 2019. These companies develop a production value equal to 8,5% of GDP (+7,1% compared to 2019). Among the top 100 there are: 9 electricity monoutilities, 7 gas companies, 35 water, 25 environmental and 26 multiutilities. Alone 15 companies they exceed the billion euros in revenues, while 56 are under 100 million and have a marked territorial vocation.
- investments they have reached i 10,9 billion euros (+50% on 2019). Annual expenses for the research and innovation which pass from 108 to 111 million euros, while the number of patents: 61 in the last year surveyed, while in 2019 there were 58.
All sectors recorded an increase, especially the multiutility who scored a growth of 46,2% compared to 2019. Good sealing of the marginality Reeds (return on sales) dropped from 7,3% to 6,8%. There profitability is positive in all sectors, with particular emphasis on the water sector which recorded a return on sales of 9%, second only to the monoutilities of gas with 11,9%. Just below are the electrical sector with 7,4%, while the multiutility recorded a profitability of 6,5%.
Il water segment it has a significantly lower rate of network losses than the Italian average (36% against 41%), even if it is up slightly compared to 2020. environmental services, on the other hand, mark a further step forward, with separate waste collection growing by four points, reaching 73% compared to the national average of 64%.
“They go on major transformations in the utility sector driven by political and technological initiatives that aim for a growing circularity of the economy and the electrification of consumption. These macro-trends impact on a rather diversified industrial fabric in which large energy groups, multi-utilities and small and medium-sized local companies coexist, concentrated in a few sectors. An overview of the performance of the Top100 services confirms the underlying trend of improvement, which has already emerged in previous editions, in the environmental sectors (water and waste) and the substantial stability of the energy ones. Despite the great resilience and ability to adapt shown, however, the picture remains uncertain and the geopolitical risks on business are still high” explained the economist Alessandro MarangoniCEO Althesys.
Top Utility: the award winners
The winner of the award "absolute", which includes the set of parameters adopted by the Top Utility research team (economic-financial, environmental, communication, customer care, training and research & development) has been assigned to Brianzacque, a public company that industrially manages the integrated water cycle in the province of Monza and Brianza.
Ivy, the Emilian multiutility, is the winner of the category Training and which rewards companies that have invested the most in personnel training.
That, the Roman multi-utility active in the environmental, energy and water sectors, won the award RSE Research&Innovation, intended for the reality that has invested the most in research and development.
For the category consumers and territory, which enhances the best relationship between companies and customers in terms of customer care and services, has been awarded Savno, a Veronese company that operates in environmental services.
The award operational performance has been assigned to CVA – Aosta Valley Water Company, an Italian company operating in the sector of electricity production from renewable sources.
For the category sustainability, which rewards environmental management and corporate social responsibility policies, was awarded the Smat, a Turin company for the integrated water service.
For the category diversity, which rewards the most committed companies on the issues of diversity and social inclusion won Acqualatina, manager of the water service in the Southern Lazio area.
The award communication, reserved for those who have managed to better tell their business through traditional media and the web has gone to Agsm Aim, a commercial company of the AGSM AIM Group which operates in the sectors of the sale of natural gas, electricity and district heating.
What is Top Utility
Top Utility is a think tank that analyzes the Italian public utility system and promotes companies engaged in public utility services such as electricity, gas, water and waste management. Conduct research withobjective of promoting the growth of the performance of active companies in the sector of local public services, the environment and territorial development. There scientific direction is entrusted to Alessandro Marangoni, with twenty years of experience in the utilities, energy and environment sector, and a team of analysts and experts of the sector headed by Althesys. This year's Top Utility edition was promoted by Althesys in collaboration with Fonservizi, RSE, Targa Telematics and Utilitalia.
