By K. Deligiannis
kdel@naftemporiki.gr
Six investment vehicles have submitted non-binding expressions of interest for up to four lignite-fired units (one of which is an operation license) owned and operated by the Public Power Corp. (PPC), the dominant and state-run electricity utility in the country.
The second phase of a relevant tender will require binding bids by interested parties.
Selling off part of PPC’s production capacity to private sector operators in order to reduce its oligopolistic position in Greece’s wholesale and retail market is both a memorandum obligation and a standing directive by the EU Commission’s competition directorate.
Four mostly Greek investment schemes submitted non-binding bids, with the Copelouzos group in parntership with China’s Beijing Guohua Power, while another two Czech companies also expressed interest -Energeticky a prumyslovy holding (EPH) and Indoverse Coal Investments Ltd.
EPH is one of the biggest energy groups in central Europe, with assets outside the Czech Republic totaling 12.8 billion euros, and a presence in Slovakia, Germany, Italy, the UK, Hungary and Poland.
Indoverse (Czech) Coal Investments Ltd. is a subsidiary of Seven Energy. The company operates lignite mines in southern Bohemia and a lignite-fired unit, while it is close to purchasing the CEZ lignite plant.
The three other schemes that have expressed an interest are GEK Terna, Viohalco group’s Elvalhalkor and the Mytilineos group.
