Czech-based coal mining and energy group EPH has announced that it has signed a deal to buy the French assets of the German energy company Uniper , without disclosing the value of the deal. EPH said in a statement that the deal includes: “Uniper’s French sales business, two gas-fired power plants in Saint-Avold (Lorraine), and two coal-fired power plants in Saint-Avold and Gardanne (Provence).” EPH is also buying the biomass power plant Provence 4 Biommasse in Gardanne and Uniper’s wind and solar power plants.
Jan Springl, Vice Chairman of the EPH board, said: “The portfolio of Uniper France is well diversified. Apart from conventional generation, we are happy to expand our presence in generation from wind and solar. We enter the French market with the strategic intention to further develop the business of Uniper France.”
Daniel Castvaj, spokesman for EPH, declined to elaborate on the company’s plans for the two coal-fired plants. He said: “The transaction has not been closed yet, and we have to respect the fact that the assets are not ours. We will comment later.”
Cecile Marchand from Friends of the Earth called on the French Government to make sure the coal-fired plants close by 2022 as planned, without being converted into gas or biomass plants.