Paris (AFP)
The president of Engie announced Monday that he would carefully study a "new project" from Suez if the specialist in water and waste management, of which Veolia wants to buy from Engie the 29.9% it owns, managed to quickly present him with "an alternative offer".
"As I said to Bertrand Camus (the boss of Suez, editor's note), if the Suez team wishes, wants, wants to develop a new project, we will look at it with the same attention", declared Jean-Pierre Clamadieu , Chairman of the Board of Directors of Engie, on Franceinfo.
Veolia wants to buy out its historical competitor Suez, starting with the takeover of most of the shares held by Engie, which received an offer of 2.9 billion euros valid until September 30.
If this takeover materializes, Veolia plans to then launch a takeover bid on the rest of the shares.
"If it appears necessary to make an extension, we will ask Veolia for it, but our friends at Suez must not waste time and get to work to present us with an alternative offer if it is possible", added Mr. Clamadieu.
However, the boss of the energy giant believes that Veolia's offer "has real logic, strengths and questions that must be looked at carefully" even if he also "feels" that the offer is "a little underestimated".
If a sale materializes, Engie then intends with these new financial resources to "invest more in renewables" to get closer to "the best world players" such as Enel or Iberdrola, and also in "urban infrastructure, heating and cooling networks, electric vehicle charging networks ".
Shareholder relations between Suez and Engie are the subject of recurring speculation, often to lend Engie the desire to regain control of its former subsidiary, or else to completely withdraw from it.
Engie no longer has control of the water and waste management specialist since July 2013 with the termination of the company's shareholders' agreement.
© 2020 AFP