HONG KONG, Aug. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — China Everbright Environment Group Limited ("Everbright Environment" or the "Company") (257.HK) announces its unaudited interim results of the Company and its subsidiaries (collectively the "Group") for six months ended 30 June 2025 ("1H2025" or the "period under review").

In terms of operating results, during the period under review, the Group adhered to the principle of making steady and promoting stability through practical measures. It actively implemented three major development strategies, namely technology as a driving force, an internationalisation path, and an industry ecosystem, and made every effort to advance its "Second-Stage Entrepreneurship", firmly promoting high-quality development. Specifically, during the period under review, the Group maintained strategic leadership, with the three major development strategies gradually becoming clearer; adhered to a market-oriented approach, accelerating the cultivation of new development momentum; focused on core business areas, striving to improve operational quality and efficiency; committed to management enhancement, solidifying internal competencies for development; and maintained a bottom-line mindset, effectively preventing and resolving risks. Overall, the Group’s business performance made stable progress, with operations moving in a positive direction.

During the period under review, the Group recorded a total revenue of approximately HK$14.304 billion, a decrease of 8% from the first half of 2024 ("1H2024"); gross profit amounted to approximately HK$6.331 billion, an increase of 5% from 1H2024; earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation ("EBITDA") amounted to approximately HK$6.048 billion, a decrease of 8% from 1H2024; profit attributable to equity holders of the Company amounted to HK$2.207 billion, a decrease of 10% from 1H2024; and basic earnings per share amounted to HK35.92 cents, a decrease of 10% from 1H2024.

In terms of market expansion, during the period under review, the Group remained committed to advancing both domestic and overseas business expansion, promoting the synchronised development of asset-light and asset-heavy businesses, and proactively exploring new businesses and models. It also deployed business-to-business ("ToB") business, and closely monitored merger and acquisition ("M&A") opportunities. In 1H2025, the Group invested in and secured 4 new projects, with a total investment of approximately RMB2.396 billion, and signed various new asset-light business contracts worth RMB520 million.

The designed treatment and supply capacities of the newly secured projects in 1H2025 are summarised below:

In respect to expansion highlights, during the period under review, in the domestic market, the Group adhered to a business expansion approach that emphasises both asset-light and asset-heavy businesses, while simultaneously cultivating new growth drivers. It consolidated and enhanced its advantageous businesses such as solid waste treatment, water treatment, and environmental remediation; actively explored areas such as synergistic coupling models for green power and computing centers to expand ToB business opportunities; clarified M&A directions across four dimensions and strived for new breakthroughs in key regions; further tapped the potential of synergistic businesses by expanding into mobile heat supply, methane purification, and reusable water supply; and signed the Group’s first biomethane project, marking a significant breakthrough in the high-value utilisation of biomass resources. In relation to the overseas market, the Group secured 2 waste-to-energy projects in Uzbekistan, marking its first entry into the Central Asian market. In addition, the Group undertook asset-light services including equipment procurement and supply in Thailand and India. To further contribute to the development of a green "Belt and Road" and to seize related market opportunities, the Group planned to establish representative offices in regions such as Indonesia, Vietnam and Central Asia. By leveraging on these regional hubs, the Group aims to establish and improve its overseas project pipeline.

As of 30 June 2025, the Group had established a business presence across 25 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions, and a special administrative region in China, covering 229 cities, counties, and districts. Its overseas markets extended to 16 countries, including Germany, Poland, Vietnam, and Uzbekistan. The Group had invested in and secured a total of 604 environmental protection projects, with an aggregate investment of approximately RMB164.307 billion. It also undertook various asset-light businesses and services, including environmental remediation, waste sorting, design and consulting, equipment supply, and technical services. The Group’s environmental energy and greentech sectors had secured a total of 196 waste-to-energy projects, with a designed daily household waste processing capacity of 162,900 tonnes (including capacity under the operation and management ("O&M") model).

In terms of corporate governance, during the period under review, the Group actively improved its organisational structure and decision-making management system, solidifying its development foundation. Among which, Ms. Qu Li was appointed as non-executive director of the Company and Professor Zhang Xiang, JP. was appointed as independent non-executive director of the Company to enhance the diversity of the members of the board (the "Board") of directors of the Company and strengthen the Group’s capabilities in international business development and technological innovation. Additionally, a sustainability committee was established under the Board to actively align with relevant worldwide practices, ensuring a more systematic and standardised supervision and enhancement of its sustainability efforts. The Group also established the Chief Executive Officer’s Office and a mechanism for thematic meetings on business operation and management, and systematically optimised the organisational setup of the Group’s headquarters departments, strengthening support for key operational tasks such as market expansion.

Regarding innovation-driven empowerment, during the period under review, the Group, leveraging its technology committee office, put in place a comprehensive management system for scientific research. Through the revision and enhancement of several core policies, including the Administrative Measures for Technology Research and Development Funding, the Group formed a full-cycle institutional framework covering project management, commercialisation of research outcome, and performance evaluation and incentives. At the same time, the Group systematically reviewed its ongoing research topics and guided by business needs, prioritised the research and development ("R&D") and application and commercialisation of research outcome relating to the "3+1" key topics such as fly ash resource utilisation. Notably, the Group’s Zhejiang Ninghai Waste-to-Energy Project ("Ninghai Project") successfully launched the test of China’s first anaerobic ammonia oxidation system for waste-to-energy projects. The 200 tonnes/day small-scale furnace system entered the installation and commissioning phase at the Group’s Hebei Guangzong Waste-to-Energy Project. Moreover, the Group’s anaerobic membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology for leachate treatment has been identified as reaching an internationally leading level, and its small-scale incinerator equipment has been assessed as achieving an advanced international standard, with its "Multi-Source Solid Waste Co-Incineration Technology" reaching an internationally leading level. In terms of digital and intelligent capability building for management, the Group continued to advance the construction of integrated digital platforms, including those for business-finance integration. As of 30 June 2025, the Group held a total of 2,240 intellectual property rights.

In terms of operations management, during the period under review, through implementing measures such as the "Twenty Measures for Refined Management" and the "Fifteen Special Measures for Increasing Operation Revenue", the operational quality and efficiency of the Group’s existing projects were enhanced, with major operational indicators continuing to show positive trends. In the environmental energy sector, the average power generation per tonne of incoming waste fed into the furnace of the waste-to-energy projects increased by 3% to approximately 460 kWh, as compared with 1H2024, while the comprehensive plant power consumption rate declined by 0.3 percentage point to approximately 14.7%, as compared with 1H2024. In the environmental water sector, the waste water treatment volume was approximately 835,100,000 m³, comparatively the same as in 1H2024, while it continuously strengthened refined management measures, such as optimisation of chemical types, precise chemical dosing, and energy management contracting ("EMC") of equipment, to further reduce the operating costs of existing projects, and secured more than 10 EMC contracts. In the greentech sector, the heat supply and power generation volumes of the integrated biomass utilisation projects both increased as compared with 1H2024, while the unit purchase price of biomass fuel decreased by 8% as compared with 1H2024.

In terms of project construction, during the period under review, 7 projects of the Group completed construction and commenced operation, 3 projects completed construction, and 1 environmental remediation service was completed and delivered. A total of 7 projects commenced construction, along with 3 environmental remediation services starting to be implemented.

In terms of environmental contributions, in 1H2025, the Group generated green electricity of approximately 14.8 billion kWh through processing more than 32 million tonnes of household waste, hazardous and solid waste, and agricultural and forestry waste. This output is equivalent to saving nearly 6 million tonnes of standard coal, while displacing carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions by nearly 19 million tonnes. At the same time, through treatment of approximately 840 million m³ of waste water and leachate treatment from waste-to-energy plants, the Group reduced chemical oxygen demand (COD) discharge of approximately 420,000 tonnes.

The Group remains committed to sharing its development and operating results with the shareholders of the Company (the "Shareholders"). To reward the Shareholders for their support, and taking into account the Group’s business development and strategic planning, the Board has declared an interim dividend of HK15.0 cents per share for the six months ended 30 June 2025 (2024: HK14.0 cents per share). The dividend payout ratio was 42%, representing an increase of 7 percentage points as compared with 1H2024.

Mr. Luan Zusheng, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Everbright Environment, said, "In 1H2025, Everbright Environment advanced high-quality development in a solid manner. Its three major development strategies achieved positive results, and its operating performance progressed steadily. In the second half of 2025, the Group will focus on advancing five key tasks: first, to implement its ’15th Five-Year Plan’ effectively to ensure the strategic goals are achieved; second, to enhance contributions from overseas business, seize M&A opportunities, and expand the core businesses; third, to employ multiple measures to strengthen operations, reduce costs, and enhance efficiency; fourth, to cultivate new growth drivers and promote the development of technological innovation platforms; and fifth, to ensure effective risk prevention and control, systematically handle non-performing assets and focus on collecting accounts receivable, while ensuring safe production practices. Everbright Environment, from top to bottom, will prioritise concrete actions and achieve the operational and development goals for 2025 with high quality, creating sustainable value for the Shareholders and the society."

Mr. Wang Silian, Executive Director and Chairman of the Board of Everbright Environment, said, "This year marks the 20th anniversary of the ‘Lucid Waters and Lush Mountains are Invaluable Assets’ concept and the 5th anniversary of China’s goals of ‘Peaking Carbon Emissions and Achieving Carbon Neutrality’. As an industry leader, Everbright Environment has been consistently upholding and practicing the ecological civilisation philosophy, embedding green development into its corporate DNA. As a result, the Group created development opportunities while safeguarding clear waters and green mountains, and forged core competitiveness amid market competition. Since last year, guided by its ‘Secondary-Stage Entrepreneurship’ initiative, the Group has shifted from pursuing scale to prioritising quality. Looking into the future, with the goal ‘To Become a World-Class Integrated Environmental Service Provider with Chinese Characteristics’, Everbright Environment will remain committed to its mission, unleash innovation vitality, enhance governance effectiveness, and strictly uphold the risk bottom line, striving to convert its efforts into tangible development results. By doing so, the Group aims to achieve a successful conclusion to the ’14th Five-Year Plan’, and launch its ’15th Five-Year Plan’ from a high base. On the journey of the ‘Secondary-Stage Entrepreneurship’, the Group will strive for new success and contribute wisdom and strength to building a Beautiful China and advancing global sustainable development."

Business Review by Sectors

ENVIRONMENTAL ENERGY

In 1H2025, environmental energy invested in and secured 3 new projects, with a total investment of approximately RMB2.336 billion. It also signed multiple asset-light businesses, covering areas such as waste classification, integrated sanitation, and heat and steam supply, with a total contract amount of approximately RMB161 million. These new projects added an additional designed daily household waste processing capacity of 3,000 tonnes. As of 30 June 2025, environmental energy had invested in and implemented a total of 286 projects, with an aggregate investment of approximately RMB101.228 billion, and undertook different types of asset-light businesses, such as 2 O&M projects and 2 engineering design, procurement, construction and operation (EPCO) projects.

In terms of operations management, during the period under review, environmental energy advanced its refined management initiatives, with significant improvement across several key operational indicators as compared with 1H2024: the average power generation per tonne of incoming waste fed into the furnace of the waste-to-energy projects was approximately 460 kWh, increased by 3% as compared with the first half of 2024, while the comprehensive plant power consumption rate was approximately 14.7%, declined by 0.3 percentage point as compared with 1H2024. Additionally, external heat and steam supply increased by 39% as compared with 1H2024, and 2 waste-to-energy projects received regulatory approval to increase waste treatment fee.

Regarding project construction, during the period under review, 2 projects were completed and commenced operation, with a total designed daily household waste processing capacity of 500 tonnes. 2 projects commenced construction, with a total designed daily household waste processing capacity of 400 tonnes.

ENVIRONMENTAL WATER 

As of 30 June 2025, the Group held a 72.87% stake in China Everbright Water Limited ("Everbright Water").

In 1H2025, Everbright Water secured various new asset-light business contracts totaling approximately RMB60 million. These new projects added a designed daily industrial waste water treatment capacity of 10,000 m³. As of 30 June 2025, Everbright Water had invested in and implemented 170 projects, with a total investment of approximately RMB31.630 billion. It also undertook 13 O&M services and other asset-light businesses.

In terms of operations management, during the period under review, Everbright Water improved the quality and efficiency of operations management through a dual approach of technological innovation and refined management, while further advancing the implementation of intelligent operations management. It continuously strengthened its refined management measures, such as optimisation of chemical types, precise chemical dosing, and energy management contracting of equipment, to further reduce the operating costs of existing projects. An efficient, high-quality digital supply chain system was developed by Everbright Water. More than 10 business contracts were signed for existing projects. As of 30 June 2025, solar power facilities had commenced operation across 12 projects, with a total installed capacity of approximately 20 MWp, generating around 20 million kWh of green electricity annually.

In terms of project construction, during the period under review, Everbright Water had 5 projects that commenced operation upon completion of construction works, with a designed daily water treatment capacity of 700,000 m³; 2 projects that commenced construction, with a designed daily water supply capacity of 15,000 m³.

GREENTECH 

As of 30 June 2025, the Group held a 69.70% stake in China Everbright Greentech Limited ("Everbright Greentech").

In 1H2025, Everbright Greentech invested in and secured 1 new project with a total investment of approximately RMB60 million, and signed new contracts for 3 environmental remediation services with a total contract value of approximately RMB128 million. The new projects are designed to have an annual biomass raw material processing capacity of 50,000 tonnes, and a biomethane supply capacity of 10,000,000 Nm³. As of 30 June 2025, Everbright Greentech had invested in and held 143 projects, with a total investment of approximately RMB30.827 billion. In addition, Everbright Greentech undertook 19 environmental remediation services (excluding services that had been completed and delivered).

In terms of operations management, during the period under review, Everbright Greentech adhered to a lean operational philosophy, focusing on three dimensions, namely increasing revenue and efficiency, cost control and green value-added services. This approach enhanced the projects’ resilience to risks and its competitiveness in the market. On the revenue enhancement side, heat and steam supply volume from relevant projects increased by approximately 27% as compared with 1H2024, leading to a notable rise in related revenue. On the cost control side, the unit purchase price of biomass fuel declined by 8% as compared with 1H2024, effectively alleviating the pressure from fluctuations in raw material prices. In respect to green value-added services, the transaction volume of green certificates increased by nearly 2 times as compared with the total amount for the entire year of 2024, enhancing the relevant bargaining power.

With respect to project construction, during the period under review, Everbright Greentech had 3 projects that completed construction and commenced operation, and 1 environmental remediation service was completed and delivered. In addition, 3 projects commenced construction, and 3 environmental remediation services began remediation works.

EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURING 

In 1H2025, the equipment manufacturing made consistent progress in deepening its presence in the domestic market while accelerating business transformation and achieving positive outcomes in overseas markets. In the domestic market, the sector focused on small-scale waste incineration technology and actively expanded into county-level markets in provinces such as Sichuan, Gansu and Heilongjiang. It deepened business in the sub-sectors of fly ash resource utilisation and new energy, signing contracts for fly ash washing equipment in Jiangmen, Guangdong Province and Jiangsu Changzhou Copper Sludge Disposal Project. It also entered the thermal power environmental protection market, winning the bid for the Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) flue gas upgrade and major renovation project from Zhongshan Chant Group. Leveraging its core technological strengths, the sector delivered key projects such as the Jiangsu Suzhou Distributed Control System (DCS) Integration Project. In overseas markets, contracts were signed for high-efficiency incinerators in Thailand and slag extractors in India, as well as winning the bidding for Phase I retrofit work in Langkawi, Malaysia, which further advanced the global rollout of the Group’s self-developed environmental equipment.

In 1H2025, the equipment manufacturing signed 8 contracts for external sales of equipment, with a total contract value of approximately RMB112 million, covering a total of 11 sets of equipment, such as furnaces, flue gas purification systems, leachate treatment systems and other new products. On the equipment supply and aftersales service front, the sector initiated 160 project supply services; completed production of 4 sets of grate furnaces for internal and external clients; delivered 11 sets of furnaces and leachate treatment systems; and completed 34 times of unmanned coking services. The sector also signed 137 contracts in relation to external after-sale services, with a total contract value of approximately RMB58 million. In the first half of 2025, the sector provided 156 after-sales service projects for internal and external clients.

EVIROTECH 

In 1H2025, envirotech made steady progress in advancing its "3+1" key R&D directions. Among these, significant breakthroughs were achieved in the development of fly ash treatment technology, which helped facilitate related projects across the Group. Research into carbonisation technologies for waste advanced in an orderly manner, while efforts to develop biomass saccharification and resource recovery technologies contributed to pilot projects within relevant business sectors. In addition, envirotech began exploring technologies related to miniature grate furnaces.

Regarding outcome commercialisation, during the period under review, envirotech actively promoted the commercialisation of key technology research outcome, including Automated Combustion Control (ACC), Automated Flue Gas Control (AFC) using semi-dry processes, Polymer Non-Catalytic Reduction (PNCR), automated weighbridge retrofitting systems, and integrated desulfurisation and denitrification solutions. Notably, the anaerobic ammonia oxidation system was successfully commissioned at Ninghai Project, laying a solid foundation for scaling up the research outcome commercialisation in the future.

About China Everbright Environment Group Limited

China Everbright Environment Group Limited ("Everbright Environment") is a flagship enterprise of China Everbright Group Ltd. in the industrial sector. Everbright Environment is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited ("HKEX") (257.HK). It has two listed subsidiary companies: China Everbright Water Limited, which is dual listed on Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited and HKEX (U9E.SG and 1857.HK) and China Everbright Greentech Limited, which is listed on HKEX (1257.HK). Since its transformation into the environmental field in 2003, Everbright Environment has become the largest environmental enterprise in China, a leading player in Asia’s environmental protection industry, as well as a world-renowned environmental group.

As the world’s largest waste-to-energy, Everbright Environment has a designed daily household waste processing capacity of more than 160,000 tonnes. The Company has a business presence in 25 provinces, municipalities, autonomous regions and a special administrative region in China, as well as 16 overseas markets including Germany, Poland, Vietnam and Uzbekistan. Focusing on the areas of solid waste, water-related business and clean energy, the Company’s main businesses cover waste-to-energy and synergistic waste treatment, integrated biomass utilisation, hazardous and solid waste treatment, new energy, environmental remediation, water environment management, equipment manufacturing, waste sorting, environmental sanitation integration, resource recycling, development of zero-waste cities, research and development relating to green technologies, ecological and environmental planning and designing, as well as environmental protection industrial parks.