Czech billionaire Kretinsky's EPH joins suitors for Uniper, sources say

EPH Invest SpA

20/01/2025 08:42

FRANKFURT/PRAGUE, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Czech billionaire
Daniel Kretinsky is among potential suitors that have been
approached by Berlin about a purchase of German state-owned
utility Uniper  UN0k.DE , three people familiar with the matter
said.
    Berlin is currently exploring a divestment of its 99.12%
stake in Uniper, which had to be nationalised during Europe's
energy crisis in 2022, with options ranging from a partial to a
full sale of its holding, sources have said.
    A sale of Uniper, which is currently valued at 19 billion
euros ($19.6 billion) but is likely to be divested at a
discount, could become one of Europe's biggest deals in 2025.
    Czech energy holding company EPH, which is majority-owned by
Kretinsky's investment vehicle EPCG, is "part of the process",
one of the sources said, declining to be identified because the
talks are confidential.
    EPH and Uniper both declined to comment.
    Germany's Finance Ministry, which oversees Berlin's stake,
had no immediate comment.
 
($1 = 0.9699 euros)

 (Reporting by Christoph Steitz, Emma-Victoria Farr and Jan
Lopatka; Additional reporting by Andres Gonzalez and Christian
Kraemer, Editing by Miranda Murray)
 ((christoph.steitz@thomsonreuters.com; +49 30 220 133 647))