German company E.ON plans to become involved in the design of the Belene nuclear power plant, President Georgi Purvanov's visit to Germany unveiled.
Bulgarian nuclear power has great potential and our country has the goal of becoming the nuclear powerhouse of the Balkans, Purvanov told a business forum in Munich, where a group of 200 representatives of the business and political had gathered.
E.ON has confirmed its intention to invest in Belene. The company's role in the privatisation of electricity distribution companies was pointed out by Parvanov during his meetings with German president Horst Koller, and Bavarian prime minister Edmund Stoiber, as a basis for larger future investments by German companies in Bulgaria. We expect Germany to become the number one investor in Bulgaria very soon, Purvanov said.
Meanwhile, on July 22, the Privatisation Agency (PA) launched talks with E.ON, which was chosen to become the buyer of the country's electricity distribution utilities in Varna and Gorna Oryahovitsa, grouped in a package, covering North-Eastern Bulgaria.
On July 15, the agency picked E.ON, the Czech CEZ and Austrian EVN out of five bidders as preferred buyers of 67 per cent stakes in the seven electricity distribution companies, packed in three groups - Western Bulgaria, South-Eastern Bulgaria and North-Eastern Bulgaria.
CEZ was selected buyer of the Western Bulgaria package, which comprises the Sofia City, Sofia Region and Pleven electricity distribution utilities. CEZ offered 281.5 million euro for the Western Bulgaria package.
E.ON was picked as a preferred buyer of the North-Eastern Bulgaria package, which combines the utilities in the Black Sea port of Varna and in the town of Gorna Oryahovitsa. E.ON placed a 140.7 million euro bid.
EVN is the preferred buyer for the South-Eastern Bulgaria package, which groups the utilities in the country's second-largest city of Plovdiv and in Stara Zagora. EVN filed the highest bid for the South-Eastern Bulgaria group, totalling 271 million euro.
Buyers are not allowed to sell their stake and renegotiate social commitments until 2008. The state will retain its 33 per cent stake in the seven utilities until 2008.
The social commitments are related to decreasing the salary funds and companies' social expenditures. The PA and the buyers will not negotiate on investments, since the licences issued by the state energy regulator specify the terms and conditions for providing the service. The agency will try to negotiate setting aside less than 20 per cent of the sell-off price to an escrow account to cover hidden liabilities.
Bulgarian nuclear power has great potential and our country has the goal of becoming the nuclear powerhouse of the Balkans, Purvanov told a business forum in Munich, where a group of 200 representatives of the business and political had gathered.
E.ON has confirmed its intention to invest in Belene. The company's role in the privatisation of electricity distribution companies was pointed out by Parvanov during his meetings with German president Horst Koller, and Bavarian prime minister Edmund Stoiber, as a basis for larger future investments by German companies in Bulgaria. We expect Germany to become the number one investor in Bulgaria very soon, Purvanov said.
Meanwhile, on July 22, the Privatisation Agency (PA) launched talks with E.ON, which was chosen to become the buyer of the country's electricity distribution utilities in Varna and Gorna Oryahovitsa, grouped in a package, covering North-Eastern Bulgaria.
On July 15, the agency picked E.ON, the Czech CEZ and Austrian EVN out of five bidders as preferred buyers of 67 per cent stakes in the seven electricity distribution companies, packed in three groups - Western Bulgaria, South-Eastern Bulgaria and North-Eastern Bulgaria.
CEZ was selected buyer of the Western Bulgaria package, which comprises the Sofia City, Sofia Region and Pleven electricity distribution utilities. CEZ offered 281.5 million euro for the Western Bulgaria package.
E.ON was picked as a preferred buyer of the North-Eastern Bulgaria package, which combines the utilities in the Black Sea port of Varna and in the town of Gorna Oryahovitsa. E.ON placed a 140.7 million euro bid.
EVN is the preferred buyer for the South-Eastern Bulgaria package, which groups the utilities in the country's second-largest city of Plovdiv and in Stara Zagora. EVN filed the highest bid for the South-Eastern Bulgaria group, totalling 271 million euro.
Buyers are not allowed to sell their stake and renegotiate social commitments until 2008. The state will retain its 33 per cent stake in the seven utilities until 2008.
The social commitments are related to decreasing the salary funds and companies' social expenditures. The PA and the buyers will not negotiate on investments, since the licences issued by the state energy regulator specify the terms and conditions for providing the service. The agency will try to negotiate setting aside less than 20 per cent of the sell-off price to an escrow account to cover hidden liabilities.
