Torun's power and heating plants await partners in Treasury's joint tender

The Treasury Ministry has invited a tender for a joint sale of stakes of at least 10% in its two power and heating plants located in Torun: Elektrocieplownia Torus (EC Torus) and Elektrocieplownia Energotor (EC Energotor). Bids are due to be placed by June 5, after which the Treasury will announce its short list on June 26. Negotiations on the sale of the two plants will focus on prospective investors' offered price, proposed investment program, social guarantees for the firms' employees, and environmental protection pledges. According to EC Energotor president Janusz Budzynski, joint privatization of the power and heating plants will be beneficial for them, since at the moment they are forced to compete on the small local market. Major companies, including Electricite de France (EdF) with Dalkia - one of the potential investors for EC Zielona Gora - are interested in the privatization of the Torun's plants. EdF controls majority stakes in EC Krakow, ZEC Wybrzeze, more than 40% of Wroclaw's Kogeneracja, and 35% of EL Rybnik. (Reuters; Puls Biznesu, p.6) A.D.