Press releases pg. 19

After thoroughly assessing all the related opportunities and risks, ČEZ decided not to submit a binding offer to buy Vattenfall’s German assets. The company is however prepared to further discuss other possible options and terms of the acquisition.

ČEZ today submitted a non-binding offer to acquire Vattenfall’s German lignite and hydro activities. These assets represent an interesting opportunity to expand business of CEZ in a neighboring region. In Europe where coal is still crucial for the overall energy supply, CEZ has extensive know-how in operation of conventional power plants and of lignite mining, as a bridge technology to more renewable energy sources.

INVEN CAPITAL has acquired a minority stake in Sunfire, a company developing and industrialising the most progressive energy technologies that help reduce CO2 emissions and develop decentralized energy generation. ČEZ has thus joined forces with other venture capital funds sponsored by EDF and Total as well as with KfW, a German state-owned development bank.

Today, the CEZ Group officially informed the Government of Bulgaria of its intention to initiate international arbitration on the grounds of Bulgaria’s failure to protect its investment unless the current situation is quickly remedied and the damage caused duly compensated. The Group resorted to taking this step after a series of interventions by Bulgarian institutions that damaged the business operations of ČEZ companies in Bulgaria, and further as a result of the critical situation in the local energy market that has as yet failed to show any improvement. The claim amounts to several hundred million EUR.