Greece says nine investors interested in gas distribution network sale - REUTERS

FEBRUARY 21, 2020 / 6:43 PM

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece received nine expressions of interest from investors in the sale of the country’s state-controlled gas distribution network, DEPA Infrastructure, the country’s privatisation agency said on Friday.

Greece, which emerged from a series of international bailouts in 2018, intends to sell gas utility DEPA’s commercial and distribution business in two separate tenders to help open up the sector.

The country is selling its 65% stake in DEPA Infrastructure.Hellenic Petroleum, which holds the remaining 35% inthe company, has also agreed to offload its stake.

The privatisations agency said the following investors had expressed interest to acquire DEPA Infrastructure:

Antin Infrastructure Partners, China Resources Gas (HONG KONG) Investment Ltd, Consortium SINO-CEE Fund and Shanghai Dazhong Public Utilities Group, EP Investment Advisors, First State Investments (European Diversified Infrastructure Fund II), Italgas SpA, ISQUARED Capital Advisors LLP, KKR (KKR Global Infrastructure Investors III L.P.), MAQOUARIE (MEIF 6 DI HOLDINGS).

The agency said its advisors would evaluate the expressions of interest and make their recommendations to its board on the candidates that “qualify for the next phase of the tender, the binding offers phase.”

At least one DESFA sale offer believed to exceed €500m - ENERGY PRESS

16/04/2018

At least one of two second-round offers submitted last week by two consortiums participating in an international tender offering 66 percent of DESFA, the natural gas grid operator, exceeds 500 million euros, according to energypress sources.

Such a level, if confirmed, would be well above the tender’s first-round offers and a winning 400 million-euro bid that had been submitted by Azerbaijan’s Socar to a previous tender, also offering 66 percent of DESFA, which was not finalized.

In another bonus, the government appears to have secured Greek State rights for natural gas projects and infrastructure of strategic interest in a shareholders’ agreement to accompany the transfer of DESFA’s 66 percent to a new strategic investor.

DESFA bids to finally be opened at end of this week - ENERGY PRESS

26 March 2018

Offers made by two bidding teams to an international tender offering a 66 percent stake of DESFA, the natural gas grid operator, are finally expected to be opened at the end of this week, a month and a half after they had been submitted.

TAIPED, the state privatization fund, has virtually completed its thorough processing and inspections of the offers submitted by the two bidding consortiums, while the participating teams have provided responses as to which respective team member plans to assume the management role, sources have informed.

For quite some time now, officials and pundits have appeared confident the offers may exceed 500 million euros, 25 percent over an offer made by Azerbaijan’s Socar in a previous and unfinished sale attempt.