Prospective bidders considering power utility PPC’s sale of a 49 percent stake in subsidiary firm DEDDIE/HEDNO, the distribution network operator, have flooded the seller with a stream of enquiries ahead of a February 19 deadline for non-binding expressions of interest.

Interested parties had until February 5 to make enquiries before they can officially express interest in the sale later this month.

Interest in the distribution network operator is definitely strong. Questions received at PPC indicate that four investment teams, with the involvement of major funds, are maintaining the strongest interest in the DEDDIE/HEDNO sale.

Prospective buyers lodged enquiries on a range of issues, including the sale’s rules for funds, whether participating funds will need to submit their equity line-ups in full detail, and if supporting documents can be submitted in languages other than English.

A market test for the upcoming partial privatization staged by Goldman Sachs in December disclosed that interested parties include New York-based Blackrock, the world’s biggest investment fund managing capital worth 7.8 trillion dollars, US giant KKR, backed by capital worth 220 billion euros, as well as French fund Ardian, one of Europe’s strongest, linked with over 150 enterprises and capital management worth more than 100 billion dollars.

In an attempt to strengthen the sale’s appeal, PPC will guarantee the strategic investor holding a 49 percent stake in DEDDIE/HEDNO no obstacles in decisions concerning crucial matters.

However, the minority rights for DEDDIE/HEDNO’s prospective 49 percent stakeholder will not be as strong as they are for power grid operator IPTO’s Chinese strategic partner SGCC. DEDDIE/HEDNO will retain the operator’s managerial control.

Authorities had considered a two-stage sale of DEDDIE/HEDNO’s 49 percent, beginning with a stake of about 30 percent and a further 19 percent at a latter date, when market conditions may have improved, before opting for a one-off procedure.