The publication cited Vladimir Kimerin, the director general of Mosenergosbyt, as saying that the majority stake in the company has sparked interest from not only Gazprom, but also a number of other Russian power players. According to AFX News, citing the Interfax news agency, Italian utility Enel has also shown an interest.
Mosenergosbyt, which produces approximately 8% of its domestic market’s electricity, making it the largest electricity retailer in Russia, is 51% owned by Russian state-owned power player RAO United Energy System (UES). According to AFX News, Mosenergosbyt provides power to five million Moscow homes and 140,000 businesses in the capital.
Although RAO UES has recently shed a number of its domestic assets, RIA Novosti reported Mr Kimerin as saying that it has not yet made plans to divest its Mosenergosbyt stake. I think the government will first practice in selling smaller energy network companies before selling Mosenergosbyt, Mr Kimerin said, as quoted by RIA Novosti.
The publication cited Mr Kimerin as stating that Mosenergosbyt’s parent company could well make a decision regarding the firm after it has sold a number of other assets in September 2007.
