The State oil Company of the Azerbaijani Republic (SOCAR) is bidding for privatization of DEPA, a Greek gas company. Vestnik Kavkaza reported earlier that the Greek Ministry for Environment, Energy and Climate Change and the Greek Agency for Privatization announced privatization of DEPA and operator of gas transport systems of Greece DESFA.
Seventeen companies from 12 states have filed their bids. Besides SOCAR, bids were filed by 4 Russian companies (Gazprom, the Energia Investment Fund, Sintez and its Negusneft), 2 Spanish companies (Gaz Natural and Enagas), 3 Italian companies (Edison, ENI and AEM), Czech company CEZ, China’s ENN, Japan’s Mutsui, Greece’s M&M, Israel’s Israel Corp., Denmark’s Vopak, and Algeria’s Sonatrach.
Greece decided to sell the remaining state shares of DEPA (65%), as agreed with the International Monetary Fund and the EU. Hellenic Petroleum, owner of 35% of DEPA shares, will sell its part in the company as well. The Greek government will keep only 34% of DESFA shares.
DEPA is a Greek holding transporting natural gas. It sells 51% of gas to small and medium-scale business in the country.
