Poland’s new energy sector privatisation schedule will delay the sale of the Belchatow generator, the Warsaw electricity distributors Stoen and the southern G4 group until 2002 at the earliest, according to a spokesman for the Ministerial Economic Advisory Council KERM.
‘Beginning in 2002, the privatisation of entities seen as very attractive for potential investors, that is, distributors and the Belchatow power plant, will depend on the progress of privatisation in all remaining sub sectors, meaning other generators and heat and power plants,’ said a KERM spokesman.
The advisory council said that it agreed with Treasury plans that each investor in the electricity distribution sector will be allowed to acquire a maximum of 15% of the nation’s market, with individual exceptions to be introduced by the Treasury and UOKIK, the anti monopoly watchdog.
Investors will be allowed to buy 45% of a generator or heat and power plant, and 25% of an electricity distributor in first stage of privatisation. The approved schedule assumes the privatisation of the Skawina power plant, the Tychy, Zielona Gora, Torun and Energotor Torun heat and power plants, and the northern distribution group known as the G-8, still this year.
The Belchatow plant, together with its brown coal mine, Stoen and the G-4 will now be sold in 2002. It had been expected that the sale would take place in 2001.