Canton Solothurn wants to get out of Alpiq
The canton of Solothurn wants to sell its stake in the energy company Alpiq. The two regional energy providers Primeo-Energie and Regio Energie Solothurn are taking over the majority of the shares for 113 million francs. The canton is looking for more buyers for the remaining portion.
The Canton of Solothurn is selling its stake in Alpiq . He currently holds 1'563'520 shares, a stake of 5.61 percent in the Lausanne energy company. As the government council writes in a press release, it wants 861,429 shares in Primeo-Energie based in Münchenstein BL and 331,104 shares in Regio Energie Solothurn . The government council is looking for further interested parties for the remaining 370,987 shares.
The sale to the two regional energy providers is at a share price of 70 francs and brings the canton 113 million francs. Since the canton keeps the shares with a value of 56 francs in the books, the book profit is 16.7 million francs.
The canton holds the Alpiq shares thanks to its stake in the predecessor company Atel, which dates back to the 1960s. With the sale, he is exercising a right that was granted in the shareholders' agreement of the three shareholder groups EOS Holding , the Credit Suisse subsidiary Schweizer Kraftwerksbeteiligung-AG and the Consortium of Swiss Minorities (KSM) from 2019. The canton of Solothurn belongs to the KSM. According to the 2019 clause, he can sell his shares either to existing members of the KSM or to regional energy providers.