Germany on Tuesday launched the privatization process of energy giant Uniper, which the government bailed out in 2022 in a multibillion transaction.
Germany is considering a sale or an initial public offering for the 99% it holds in Uniper, the government said in an official note in the Financial Times.
Potential bidders have until June 12 to submit a letter of intent, declaring their interest in a deal to JPMorgan Chase & Co. and UBS Group AG, which the government has picked as advisors to the transaction.
Norway’s energy major Equinor, Brookfield Asset Management, EPH of Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky, and Abu Dhabi’s Taqa have reportedly expressed interest in recent months to acquire the German utility giant.
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Uniper, one of the biggest energy companies in Germany, was close to collapsing in 2022 when the energy crisis and the lack of Russian natural gas supply led to massive losses.
Back then, the German government stepped in to nationalize the company to avoid its collapse amid soaring gas prices, with the total bill for Uniper’s nationalization at about $53 billion.
The Federal Government took over 99% of the company in order to secure Germany’s energy supply. The bailout by the Federal Government goes alongside a ban on bonus and dividend payments at the company.
Under EU regulations on state aid, the European Commission approved the nationalization of Uniper on the condition that Germany work out an exit strategy to reduce its stake to not more than 25% plus one share by the end of 2028 at the latest.
Last year, Germany’s government was said to be preferring a kind of new initial public offering or a “re-IPO” to sell a partial 25% stake via the equity market. An outright sale is now being considered, according to the government’s notice of the start of the privatization process.
By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com
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