Press releases pg. 22

The ČEZ Group has initiated a process to sell its Albanian distribution business, CEZ Shpërndarje. Potential buyers may thus express their interest during January, and a decision on the subsequent steps will be made afterwards. At the same time, the ČEZ Group continues to negotiate with the Albanian authorities how to resolve the situation at hand.

The last one of 240 wind turbines in the Fantanele-Cogealac wind park in Romania has been connected to the grid today. The total installed capacity is now 600 MW, and the largest continental wind park in Europe can thus supply power to over one million Romanian households every year.

Due to repeated unforeseeable and now even illegal steps taken by Albania, which have negatively affected the operations of ČEZ Shperndarje as the local power distribution company, the ČEZ Group has taken the first steps to claim the World Bank’s guarantee.

ČEZ Shperndarje has resorted to disconnecting power supply to all Albanian state-owned waterworks that have failed to settle their debts in the long run. The total sum of receivables from such companies has reached EUR 38 million. ČEZ decided to disconnect the water companies after a series of unsuccessful negotiations with the Albanian counter-party concerning the high debt settlement.