The main power utility PPC has launched an aggressive sales policy in a bid to hold on to medium and large-scale consumers with punctual electricity bill-paying records. These two categories are comprised of roughly twenty five energy-intensive industries consuming over 10 GWh per year.

Sources have informed energypress that PPC is currently engaged in negotiations with all punctual customers belonging to these categories as part of an aggressive policy seeking to maintain their  business and also improve the utility’s troubled collections record.

PPC, the sources noted, is offering such enterprises attractive discounts despite a bailout obligation requiring the dominant utility to drastically reduce its market share. The strategy is ultimately undermining competition.

Three high-voltage steel industries belonging to the Viohalko corporate group, Sidenor, Sovel, and Elval, have already signed agreements with PPC, sources noted, while Macedonian Paper Mills (Mel) and the cement industries AGET Iraklis and Titan are close to signing deals, they added. Pundits believe that many other industries will follow the way of Viohalko.