[에너지신문] The government of New South Wales (Australia) has decided to block the sale of the regional electricity distribution system operator Ausgrid to foreign bidders, citing "national security concerns".
The government is seeking to fund infrastructure projects by selling a 99-year lease for a 50.4% stake in Ausgrid, the network operator for Sydney, the Central Coast, Wollogong and the Hunter regions. The sale could raise up to A$10bn (US$7.7bn).
So far, State Grid, China's dominant power distributor, and Hong Kong's Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd have been the only two bidders for Ausgrid. State Grid already owns stakes in the power transmission networks of South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia, through Jemena, ElectraNet and other holdings.