E.D.F. PARIS (Reuters) - French power company EDF (>> EDF) is in a consortium led by Singapore sovereign fund GIC looking to buy a 40 percent stake in the Eurostar train service which the British government has put up for sale, the Les Echos newspaper reported.
It said at least five non-binding offers had been shortlisted for the stake in the service, which links Brussels, Paris and London through the Channel tunnel, with a deadline of Feb. 23 to submit firm offers.
EDF declined to comment.
The stake was put up for sale in October and is valued at 300 million to 400 million pounds ($452 million-$602 million), Les Echos said.
It said candidates still in the running included a consortium put together by investment fund 3i (>> 3i Group plc) and Predica, a division of the bank Credit Agricole (>> CREDIT AGRICOLE), as well as an alliance between Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec and British investment fund USS.
The Netherlands rail business had however dropped from the race, it said.
The French state-owned SNCF, which owns 55 percent of Eurostar, and the Belgian government, which holds 5 percent, had decided not to bid, it said.
They have a last-look right which would enable them to offer a 15 percent premium on any final bid.
(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon)
