Greece received six expressions of interest for the sale of a 66% stake in state natural gas grid operator DESFA, the country’s privatization agency (HRADF) said in a press release on Monday.
The investor groups that responded to the tender are:
– Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets Ltd
– A consortium of Italy’s Snam, Spain’s Enagas Internacional, Belgium’s Fluxys and Dutch-based Gasunie (the first three first companies are also shareholders in TAP)
– A consortium of Romanian state-owned Transgaz with France’s GRTgaz
– Spain’s Regasificadora del Noroeste
– The US’s Integrated Utility Services (INTUS)
– Qatar’s Powerglobe LLC
HRADF’s advisors will evaluate the above proposals and submit to the agency’s board their recommendation regarding the candidates that qualify for the next phase of the tender.
Commenting on the development, Environment and Energy ministry sources said the fact that among the interested investors are some of Europe’s biggest natural gas operators is “a vote of confidence for the next day of the Greek economy”.