FRENCH energy utility Electricité de France (EDF) is likely to bid for 49 per cent stakes in three state Slovak electricity distribution companies.
EDF is looking into new possibilities for investing in central Europe after a scrapped tender for the Czech electricity utility ČEZ.
There has been a wide range of interest expressed in buying into Slovak electricity distribution companies, from companies such as the German RWE Plus, Energie Baden Würtenberg and E.ON, the Belgian Tractebel, the Spanish Union Fenosa, the Czech ČEZ and Severomoravská energetika and at least two American companies.
The three electricity distributors - ZSE, SSE and VSE - are expected to record a profit in 2001 of Sk4 billion ($83.7 million) on revenues of Sk50.49 billion.
Tenders for the three firms have been announced; the sales are expected to be completed by the end of the first half of this year.
4. Feb 2002 at 0:00 | Compiled from Slovak press reports