Warsaw (Puls Biznesu) – The government program providing for the consolidation of energy market may adversely affect consumers. Some foreign investors consider withdrawal from Poland.
The government asked all parties involved to take stance against its program for the energy sector within three weeks. It provides for building four strong energy groups. BOT, the biggest beneficiary, which is going to be strengthened with eight distribution companies, PSE assets and Elektrownia Dolna Odra power plan, is happy with the planned changes.
“This is a step in the right direction. It would go further, however. I’m afraid that PGE will be the only group with bigger production than sales”, Jerzy Laskawiec, BOT CEO said.
BOT would like to be merged with Energa, the distribution company from Gdansk, northern Poland.
Private companies see it differently.
“We are not delighted with the consolidation but it could have been even worse. There were ideas to build only two giant groups while now there are going to be four”, Przemyslaw Chojnowski, the CEO of the Association of Private Employers in Energy Sector (ZPPE) said.
Foreign investors are more critical.
“Electrabel cannot like the idea to build national champions. They will have a very big advantage. When we were entering Poland in the privatization process we were promised much different structure of the branch”, Grzegorz Gorski, Electrabel Polska CEO said.
The company owns Elektrownia Polaniec and would like to buy, among others, Dolna Odra power plant.
“Everybody wants to develop. If you deprive them of the opportunity to do that it is very probable that out of five rivales in Poland there will be three or two big foreign firms” Grzegorz Gorski said.