Swiss company Endeavour has offered to the Montenegrin government and the state power utility (EPCG) to purchase the Niksic Ironworks, and the company will submit its offer through the public tender that is open until January 25th. In addition, this potential investor is ready to invest EUR 870 million in various energy projects, independent of the offer for the Ironworks.
The potential investor announced its intentions at a meeting on Thursday at the Ministry of Energy, attended by Minister Sasa Mujovic, the President of the EPCG Board of Directors Milutin Djukanovic, state secretaries of the ministries of transport and energy, representatives of the Montenegrin Electricity Distribution System (CEDIS) and the Montenegrin Electricity Transmission System (CGES), while the President’s Cabinet was represented by regional development advisor Aleksandar Stijovic.
The meeting was held behind closed doors, and the public was not informed about it.
Several participants unofficially said that the potential investor offered to buy the Ironworks and that this is the only offer from several interested investors who have expressed interest only in leasing the Niksic factory.
- They will submit their offer through the public tender. As for other investments, they are ready to invest around EUR 870 million solely in energy projects, as well as other projects in the transport sector. The problem is that the state does not have complete documentation in terms of analyses and other studies for some projects that Endeavour is interested in.
Considering collaboration models
Djukanovic said that investor interest in the Ironworks is significant.
- Models for leasing and purchasing the Ironworks are currently being considered – he briefly said.
Stijovic emphasized that Endeavour is a serious company operating in 15 countries and working on more than 100 major projects, and that he cannot provide more details due to other interested investors.
He explained that the meeting was long and thorough, and that the Swiss investor is interested in the energy and transport sectors, i.e., investments in railways and highways. Stijovic added that a model is currently being sought by which this company could buy the Ironworks, as the current public tender is only for leasing.
- This gives hope that many things will be set in motion in the coming period, and we have more interest in the Ironworks. The public tender lasts until January 25th, and everything will be quickly crystallized, who will submit offers and how they will look. On the other hand, we have a good situation that we managed to sit representatives of all the most important institutions at the same table and discuss models of interest for the progress of the country – Stijovic emphasized and added that Endeavour will probably soon open a branch in Montenegro.
