RuseHorse.com

Bulgaria's power grid operator NEK said on Friday it shortlisted six companies in the tender to pick a strategic investor for 49% in the nuclear power plant that it will build at Belene on the Danube. The six companies are Czech CEZ, German E.ON and RWE, Belgian Electrabel, Electricite de France and Italy's Enel. NEK will allow each company to see the blueprints for the power plant, conditional to them signing a memorandum of confidentiality, and expects first bids from the interested parties by October 1. The other four companies to have submitted letters of interest - Swiss ATEL and EGL, Spain's Endesa and Bulgarian Kumerio Med - are only interested in stakes of up to 25%. They could still be involved in the bidding a later date, if any of the other six companies are interested in associating with them as part of a consortium.