The Italian energy company Enel has not excluded any interested parties in the purchase of Slovak energy utility Slovenské Elektrárne (SE), Enel spokesperson Roberta Vivenzio told media on Thursday. Vivenzio spoke in reaction to published information, according to which Enel had excluded potential Russian investors vying for the share in SE
“Enel has not ruled out any of the bidders interested in Slovenské Elektrárne. The process is transparent and open to all potential candidates”, she told the media. Citing insider sources, Bloomberg business news agency reported earlier in the day that the largest Italian energy company excluded Russian firms, including state-owned Rosatom, from any potential sales agreements from companies that have nuclear power plants among their assets. The alleged reason behind Enel's decision were EU concerns about the sale of strategic energy infrastructure to Russian companies, as Europe finds itself too dependent on Russian energy supplies. Enel represents a majority shareholder in SE, with the minority shareholder being the Slovak Government. The value of Enel's share has been estimated at €2.7 billion.
