Disclaimer :

The Competition DG makes the information provided by the notifying parties in section 1.2 of Form CO available to the public in order to increase transparency. This information has been prepared by the notifying parties under their sole responsibility, and its content in no way prejudges the view the Commission may take of the planned operation. Nor can the Commission be held responsible for any incorrect or misleading information contained therein.

SECTION 1.2

Description of the concentration

Gaz de France group and Electrabel (part of the Suez group) intend to acquire jointly 100% of the shares of Teesside Power Limited (TPL).

TPL owns a Combined Cycle Gas Turbine CHP plant located at Wilton, Teesside, England, which generates electricity and steam. TPL is not active in the retail supply of electricity in Great Britain.

TPL sources gas for the generation of electricity both onshore and offshore. TPL is not active on the market for the retail supply of gas, but it supplies a small amount of gas to gas shippers within the framework of bilateral transactions.

Gaz de France is an energy group present across the gas supply chain and related energy services and is active in the exploration, production, transportation, storage, distribution and sale of natural gas, mainly in France, but also in Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, Luxembourg, Hungary and Spain. In Great Britain, Gaz de France generates electricity at its CHP (cogeneration) plant in Shotton and operates at the retail level in the supply of electricity to industrial/commercial customers. Gaz de France holds shares in a number of gas fields and also operates at the retail level in the supply of gas to industrial/commercial customers. Its subsidiary Gaselys sometimes sells gas on the wholesale market on the NBP within the framework of its financial trading activities (its presence on the wholesale market is however very limited).

The Suez group’s businesses are grouped in two spheres of activity, energy and the environment. In Great Britain, Suez’s activities in the electricity sector amount to limited generation of electricity through its subsidiary, SITA UK. In the gas sector, it holds a shipper licence but does not supply gas at either the wholesale or retail level in Great Britain.