SSE joins auction of Irish wind generator - source
LONDON, Dec 23 (Reuters) - British utility Scottish & Southern Energy (SSE.L) has joined the auction of Irish wind farm operator Airtricity, a source familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
Last month, Airtricity said it had hired Credit Suisse and NCB as financial advisers to help with the sale of its European assets after the $1.4 billion sale of its North American operations to Germany's E.ON AG EONG.DE.
SSE was among a list of parties which put in first round bids last week, the source said.
The Sunday Telegraph said the assets could fetch up to 1 billion euros, citing Industry executives.
SSE declined to comment. Last month said it planned to enter the Irish power supply market in 2008 and repeated its commitment to growing its wind power business.
The company said it would make acquisitions to reach its goals where these offered value.
Airtricity operates wind farms in Ireland, Britain, the Netherlands and Germany and planned to create a European "supergrid" of offshore wind power generators.
The source said he expected European rivals such as E.ON, RWE (RWEG.DE), Electricite de France (EDF.PA) and Spain's Iberdrola (IBE.MC) to also be interested in Airtricity. (Reporting by Mathieu Robbins and Tom Bergin; Editing by Richard Hubbard)
