London, 23 July (Argus) — The privatisation of four electricity distribution grids in Turkey has attracted 39 bids, including two from a joint venture of Austrian utility Verbund.

Enerjisa, a joint venture between Verbund and Turkey's Sabanci Holding, bid for the Bogazici distribution grid, which includes part of Istanbul, and for the Gediz distribution grid in the Izmir province.

The other two grids on offer are the Trakya grid in Erdine province and the Tigris grid in Diyarbakir.

Turkish distribution companies suffer high levels of transmission losses and power theft, although this declined from 25pc in 2002 to 14pc last year, according to the International Energy Agency's review of the Turkish energy markets. Distribution companies are the monopoly suppliers in their region to customers not yet eligible to switch suppliers, such as households.

The Turkish government is liberalising the power market and plans to privatise much of its infrastructure. Czech state-owned utility Cez purchased a Turkish distribution grid last year, through its joint venture AkCez, while other companies such as Germany's EnBW and RWE and Norway's Statkraft are investing in new power plants.

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