Herambiente and Ducati join forces for the circular economy
09/07/2026
In 2025, 99% of the waste produced at the Bologna - Borgo Panigale plant was sent for recovery. The partnership, which has been in place for some years, continues to yield excellent results and is being strengthened through the management of the company’s wastewater treatment plant
The commitment to environmental protection and reducing the environmental footprint remain key objectives for the Hera Group and Ducati, and are also the cornerstones of the partnership that has continued over the years with excellent results: the multi-utility company and the motorcycling manufacturer are both based in the same area and have long been working together to use sustainable processes and technologies to reduce the environmental impact of the Borgo Panigale (Bologna) plant’s operations, with a particular focus on waste management and wastewater treatment, as well as optimising energy efficiency.
Waste: maximising recovery and reuse
Herambiente Servizi Industriali (HASI) has been contracted by Ducati until 2028, with the scope of work also including the management of metallic and non-metallic waste, as well as waste resulting from the controlled scrapping of motorbikes. The result is a highly efficient treatment plan, which by 2025 enabled the Borgo Panigale-based company to send 99 per cent of the waste generated by its operations for recovery.
The process adopted by Ducati and HASI covers every aspect of waste management, from sorting waste at the point of generation, through logistical optimisation, up to maximising recycling. In addition, a circular economy project for the recovery of wooden pallets has recently been launched, whilst further initiatives to regenerate other valuable materials, such as carbon fibre waste, are currently being assessed at the state-of-the-art FIB3R plant in Imola.
Water: greater efficiency in wastewater treatment
The collaboration between Ducati and Herambiente was further strengthened in 2025 to include, again through HASI, wastewater management via the operation of the treatment plant. The activities already carried out and those currently underway are contributing to the gradual improvement of the plant’s operations and process control, such as the optimisation of oil separation treatment, with the possible evaluation of alternative products. Further initiatives are also being assessed and implemented to help Ducati achieve its environmental sustainability objectives, such as increasing the amount of process water recovered at the plant.
Energy: efficiency through trigeneration
Another concrete initiative is the development of the trigeneration plant located at Ducati’s Borgo Panigale site, managed by the multi-utility’s ESCO, Hera Servizi Energia (HSE). The plant is capable of supplying electricity, heat and cooling whilst reducing CO₂ emissions released into the atmosphere.
During 2025, the plant produced over 12,500 MWh of electricity, which helped meet 84 per cent of the entire plant’s energy requirements. The remaining electricity required is purchased by Ducati from external sources, exclusively from renewable energy sources. Since it came into operation in 2016, the trigeneration plant has prevented the emission of over 13,300 tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere, of which almost 1,400 tonnes were avoided in 2025 alone – a quantity equivalent to that absorbed annually by a forest of approximately 152 hectares.
Herambiente and Ducati join forces for the circular economy
09/07/2026
In 2025, 99% of the waste produced at the Bologna - Borgo Panigale plant was sent for recovery. The partnership, which has been in place for some years, continues to yield excellent results and is being strengthened through the management of the company’s wastewater treatment plant
The commitment to environmental protection and reducing the environmental footprint remain key objectives for the Hera Group and Ducati, and are also the cornerstones of the partnership that has continued over the years with excellent results: the multi-utility company and the motorcycling manufacturer are both based in the same area and have long been working together to use sustainable processes and technologies to reduce the environmental impact of the Borgo Panigale (Bologna) plant’s operations, with a particular focus on waste management and wastewater treatment, as well as optimising energy efficiency.
Waste: maximising recovery and reuse
Herambiente Servizi Industriali (HASI) has been contracted by Ducati until 2028, with the scope of work also including the management of metallic and non-metallic waste, as well as waste resulting from the controlled scrapping of motorbikes. The result is a highly efficient treatment plan, which by 2025 enabled the Borgo Panigale-based company to send 99 per cent of the waste generated by its operations for recovery.
The process adopted by Ducati and HASI covers every aspect of waste management, from sorting waste at the point of generation, through logistical optimisation, up to maximising recycling. In addition, a circular economy project for the recovery of wooden pallets has recently been launched, whilst further initiatives to regenerate other valuable materials, such as carbon fibre waste, are currently being assessed at the state-of-the-art FIB3R plant in Imola.
Water: greater efficiency in wastewater treatment
The collaboration between Ducati and Herambiente was further strengthened in 2025 to include, again through HASI, wastewater management via the operation of the treatment plant. The activities already carried out and those currently underway are contributing to the gradual improvement of the plant’s operations and process control, such as the optimisation of oil separation treatment, with the possible evaluation of alternative products. Further initiatives are also being assessed and implemented to help Ducati achieve its environmental sustainability objectives, such as increasing the amount of process water recovered at the plant.
Energy: efficiency through trigeneration
Another concrete initiative is the development of the trigeneration plant located at Ducati’s Borgo Panigale site, managed by the multi-utility’s ESCO, Hera Servizi Energia (HSE). The plant is capable of supplying electricity, heat and cooling whilst reducing CO₂ emissions released into the atmosphere.
During 2025, the plant produced over 12,500 MWh of electricity, which helped meet 84 per cent of the entire plant’s energy requirements. The remaining electricity required is purchased by Ducati from external sources, exclusively from renewable energy sources. Since it came into operation in 2016, the trigeneration plant has prevented the emission of over 13,300 tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere, of which almost 1,400 tonnes were avoided in 2025 alone – a quantity equivalent to that absorbed annually by a forest of approximately 152 hectares.