Consortium picked for talks on Zielona Gora plant sale

The Treasury Ministry has granted a consortium led by state-owned French utility giant Electricite de France (EdF) the exclusive right to take part in talks on the sale of power plant Zielona Gora. The initial sale is expected to be of a 45% stake in the medium-sized heat and power supplier, rising to 80% at a later date. The ministry said in a statement that it wants the negotiations to be completed by June 22, with the deal finalized by July 10. The Treasury wants the consortium to back the construction of a 186-megawatt gas-powered generating block at Zielona Gora, planned for completion by 2004 and costing $120 million. (Gazeta Wyborcza, p.18, Prawo i Gospodarka, p.5 Reuters) M.T.