Bosnia: Kelag-RWE got indirectly to the second largest Slovenian electricity trader

Published on 2. February 2016., SEE Energy News

After market development of electricity trading in Bosnia and construction of several hydro power plants, Kelag-Interenergo eyes Slovenian electricity market.

Austrian Kelag owned by the German energy giant RWE signed the letter of intent on strategic alliance with Slovenian Elektro Celje. In the next phase it could enter its trading company ECE.

ECE holds 23 percent of the Slovenian electricity market and supplies energy to more than 200.000 households.

-Readiness exists on both sides for a strategic alliance. We are currently analyzing possible models. Several possibilities are open, the president of the Management of Elektro Celje, Rade Knežević said for Dnevnik from Ljubljana.

German RWE has been showing the ambition for an increased presence at the Slovenian market. Through its Croatian branch, RWE appeared in the electricity market selling to industry last year while there are rumors that RWE is preparing the field for entering into the ownership of one of the state electricity traders.

It is important to know that Kelag is present in Slovenia through the company Interenergo which owns several hydro power plants in the territory of former Yugoslavia, specially in Bosnia. Interenergo was also trading electricity recently with Bosnian state power utility ERS.

Director of Interenergo is Anton Papež, who is known as a businessman in closest relations with the prime minister Miro Cerar. The key lobbyist for Kelag in Slovenia is Benjamin Wakounig, president of the Slovenian economy alliance in Austrian Koruška, transmits Serbia-energy.eu