Privatization fund TAIPED has decided to keep unchanged a July 15 deadline for binding bids concerning the 100 percent sale of gas company DEPA Infrastructure, meaning this privatization procedure, now 17 months long, has hit the final stretch.

The Greek State is selling its 65 percent stake in DEPA Infrastructure and Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE) the other 35 percent.

The deadline date was reconfirmed following the energy ministry’s settlement of pending issues.

Just days ago, a legislative revision was ratified to grant 30-year license extensions to the EDA distribution companies, DEPA subsidiaries.

Also, a rule enabling the removal of geographical areas from the control of EDA companies if delays in their development of distribution networks in these areas have reached 18 months will not be applied if the EDA companies are found to not be responsible for these delays.

Moreover, the legislative revision has introduced a new mechanism enabling required revenue recovery underperformance by one of the country’s three EDA distribution company to be covered by the other EDA companies, through revenue offsetting procedures concerning equivalent periods.

If this procedure fails to resolve required revenue recovery underperformances, then any discrepancy will be covered through price adjustments at all three EDA companies.

A total of six participants have qualified for the final round of the DEPA Infrastructure sale. According to sources, two or three suitors are seen submitting binding bids in just over a week, but this remains to be confirmed.

The six qualifiers are:

• EP INVESTMENT ADVISORS
• FIRST STATE INVESTMENTS (European Diversified Infrastructure Fund II)
• ITALGAS SpA
• KKR (KKR Global Infrastructure Investors III L.P.)
• MACQUARIE (MEIF 6 DI HOLDINGS)
• SINO-CEE FUND & SHANGHAI DAZHONG PUBLIC UTILITIES (GROUP) Co., Ltd consortium.