CPPIB, EPH Among Leading Contenders in €10bn Uniper Stake Sale
Major Developments in the Uniper Stake Sale Process
By Christoph Steitz
Overview of the Uniper Sale
FRANKFURT, June 2 (Reuters) - Canada's CPPIB and Czech EPH are among the parties expected to formally indicate interest in Uniper next week, four people familiar with the matter said, in a sale that could value the German energy group at over €10 billion ($11.65 billion).
Uniper's sale marks the biggest reshuffle of Germany's utility sector since Berlin bailed it out alongside SEFE for close to €20 billion during Europe's 2022 energy crisis.
Timeline and Interested Parties
Submission Deadlines and Advisors
Parties have until June 12 to submit letters of interest to UBS and JPMorgan.
Potential Bidders
Brookfield, Norway's Equinor and France's TotalEnergies are also expected to indicate interest in parts or all of the 74.12% stake in Uniper that Berlin put up for sale last month, the people told Reuters.
Initial Offer Requirements
The non-binding initial letters of interest will not yet contain a purchase price but general information on the parties, their ownership structure and details on how a deal could be funded, the sources said.
Sale Process and Strategic Considerations
Second Round and Deal Timeline
A second round of indicative offers is planned over the summer, the people said, adding a deal could be struck in the autumn. Berlin could also opt to initially sell a stake to an investor and divest more shares on the market later.
Interest in Uniper's Swedish Assets
Fortum's Position
Finland's Fortum, once a majority owner in Uniper that had to sell out as part of the bailout, is expected to express interest in Uniper's Swedish activities, which cover hydroelectric and nuclear plants, the people said.
Other Potential Competitors
RWE, Germany's biggest power producer and a Uniper competitor, could also join the process at some point, said three of the people, adding that some of the potential buyers could team up at a later stage of the sale process.
Fortum confirmed it would be interested in buying Uniper's Swedish hydro and nuclear assets should they become available.
Valuation and Political Constraints
Estimated Valuation
Germany's finance ministry, which oversees Berlin's stake, and Uniper both declined to comment. Uniper, CPPIB, EPH, Brookfield, Equinor, RWE and TotalEnergies also declined to comment.
Based on current sector multiples, Uniper could be valued at €8.8 billion to €11.4 billion, which may still be inflated by its net cash position of €4.4 billion, two of the people said.
Political Influence and Restrictions
Strategic buyers aiming to consolidate or only buy certain Uniper assets will likely face opposition from Berlin, which is to retain a blocking minority of 25% plus one share, down from 99.12% currently, the people said.
"The more political constraints, the fewer bidders," said Tibor Fedke, partner at German law firm Noerr.
Parallel Processes and Market Context
SEFE Sales Auction
SEFE, which was also bailed out by Berlin, is holding a sales auction in parallel, three of the people said, adding some of the buyers might choose to join that process.
Exchange Rate Information
($1 = 0.8584 euros)
Reporting Credits
(Reporting by Christoph Steitz; Additional reporting by Tom Kaeckenhoff, Jan Lopatka, America Hernandez, Nora Buli and Holger Hansen; Editing by Alexander Smith)
