Three European companies pretend to DESFA shares

The companies from Holland, Belgium and Italy pretent to 17% shares of the Greek gas transport operator DESFA, reported RIA Novosti referrint to the Greek newspaper Ta Nea.

Among the pretenders are Belgiam Fluxys, Dutch Gasunie and Iatlian Infrastrutture Trasporto Gas and Snam Rete Gas.

Earlier State Oil Company of Azerbaijan (SOCAR) bought 66% shares of DESFA for 400 million Euro after winning the tender in June 2013.

The European Commission has not approved the deal yeat. Baku considers DESFA company the key for the trans-Adriatic pipeline (TAP) project to export gas from the Shah Deniz field to the south of Europe via Turkey and Greece. In November 2014 the EU Anti-Monopoly Agency has started verification of the deal between SOCAR and DESFA. The European officials are afriad that the level of competition will go down at the Greek gas market.

The issue of reduction of SOCAR’s share in DESFA from 66% to 49% has been discussed at the meeting between Greek Energy Minister Panos Skurletic and SOCAR Energy Greece President Anar Mammadov. The remainig 17%  will be supposedly sold to the third company. The newspaper reported that the European Commission demands that the bloc shares of the company should not be owned by the companies from  non EU countries.

66% of shares of DESFA are owned by the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) and Hellenic Petroleum SA.

The newspaper reported that discussions between the potential buyers, Greece and Azerbaijan will, possibly, start in the coming several weeks.—0—