ITALIAN company Enel insists on selling its 66-percent stock in Slovenské Elektrárne (SE), country’s main electricity producer. The company does not want to say whether it received any concrete offers from potential investors. Enel however informed it would like to complete the sale by the end of this year, the SITA newswire reported on October 6.
Head of Enel Francesco Starace informed the media recently that companies from China are interested in purchasing the stock. Though he did not want to specify the names, the media outlets later wrote that one of the firms may by China National Nuclear Corporation. Another firm interested in purchasing the shares is Czech energy firm ČEZ, SITA wrote.
The vEnergetike.sk website also addressed other companies active in the energy sector in Europe, asking them whether they are interested in buying the stock. E.ON and RWE refused to comment on speculations over their interest in the sale, while French Électricité de France did not answer at all.
Enel announced its plan to sell the majority stock in SE in the beginning of July. Except for this, it also plans to sell assets in Romania. Both sales are part of a bigger sale of assets worth in total €6 billion. The money should be used to reduce Enel’s debt.
It is questionable how much Enel will ask for the shares. The only published information is that Italians plan to receive together €4.4 billion for selling their assets in both Slovakia and Romania. The company paid €840 million for SE shares in 2006, SITA wrote.
The remaining 34 percent of shares is currently controlled by the Economy Ministry.
Source: SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
