New DESFA tender expected this month, wait-and-see for PPC’s 17%

A revised privatization plan currently being prepared by TAIPED, the state privatization fund, is expected to include a number of energy sector sales this year and in 2018.

Plans to privatize 66 percent of DESFA, the natural gas grid operator, 65 percent of DEPA, the public gas corporation, and 35 percent of ELPE (Hellenic Petroleum) are expected to greatly contribute to privatization revenue targets of 2.2 billion and 2.1 billion euros set for 2017 and 2018, respectively.

The details of a prospective sale of a 17 percent stake of main power utility PPC, currently held by TAIPED, will depend on an agreement to be reached between the Greek government and the country’s lenders on a sale package offering PPC production units.

The overall sale effort will begin with the announcement of a DESFA tender, expected this month. The anticipated proceeds of this privatization have been included in the 2.2 billion- euro target set for 2017.

Belgium’s Fluxys, Italy’s Snam, Dutch firm Gasunie, Spain’s Enagas, Romania’s Transgaz, all of which have expressed an interest in DESFA in the past, as well as new players, among them France’s GRTgas, as well as funds such as SFPI and Marguerite, have so far sought information on the upcoming DESFA tender, a follow-up to a previous failed sale attempt involving Socar, from the Greek energy ministry.