RWE's Czech unit looking to sell gas pipeline

PRAGUE Feb 9 (Reuters) - Czech gas company RWE Transgas, a unit of Germany's RWE, is taking steps to sell its long-distance gas network operator NET4GAS by the end of this year, an RWE Transgas spokesman said on Thursday.

The plan to sell the unit, which operates a 2,500 kilometre-long gas pipeline on Czech territory, is part of RWE's broader aim to sell up to 11 billion euros worth of assets by the end of 2013.

"Nothing has changed. We are planning to sell NET4GAS this year and we are taking preparatory steps," Martin Chalupsky told Reuters via phone.

Daily Hospodarske Noviny cited on Thursday an unnamed source as saying about 10 companies are expected to bid in the RWE Transgas tender, most of which will be Czech financial groups active in the energy business.

Czech energy holding EPH, which owns power and heating plants in the Czech Republic and a coal mine in Germany, as well as financial group KKCG, which includes an oil mining operation, both told they daily they were likely to bid.

Czech investment group Penta Investments and Poland's state-controlled pipeline operator Gaz-System may also bid, the paper said, witout citing any sources.

Cyrrus brokerage analyst Marek Hatlapatka said the price for NET4GAS could reach 30-50 billion crowns ($1.6-$2.7 billion), according to the news paper. (Reporting by Jana Mlcochova, Editing by Mark Potter)