Křetínský plans major investments, EPH seeks majority stake in Slovenské elektrárne

Entrepreneur Daniel Křetínský’s EP Corporate Group (EPCG) is planning further major investments in energy and media through its subsidiaries in the coming months. In Slovakia, it plans to increase its stake in Slovenské elektrárne, which would give it a majority stake in the country’s largest power producer. In France, meanwhile, it is in talks to acquire publishing house Groupe Delcourt. It is also continuing to invest billions in its German energy assets. The holding company’s spokesperson Daniel Častvaj told the Czech News Agency (ČTK).

Slovenské elektrárne is Slovakia’s largest power producer, with its portfolio including the country’s nuclear power plants. The energy group EPH, part of EPCG, currently indirectly holds one-third of the company’s shares. “Under agreements reached earlier, we can buy the additional third currently held by Italy’s Enel, and we intend to do so,” Častvaj told ČTK. He said the price and the expected completion date could not be disclosed for regulatory reasons. According to ČTK sources, however, talks between EPH and the Italian company are ongoing, and the deal could be completed within months.

Upon completion of the deal, EPH would secure a majority stake in the Slovak company. The remaining third of the company’s shares is held by the Slovak state, alongside the Italian group.

EPCG has planned further energy investments in Germany, where it is active mainly through its subsidiary EP Energy Transition. It plans to invest up to 10 billion euros (over CZK 213.6 billion) in the transformation of its coal assets there. “The transformation of the assets that were originally coal-fired has already begun: we are gradually taking coal-fired units offline and investing in new renewable or low-emission sources,” Častvaj said.

EPCG’s media division is also preparing a major acquisition. The group controls the division through Czech Media Invest (CMI). Last year, CMI acquired Editis, France’s second-largest publishing house. A few days ago, Editis announced in France that it had begun exclusive talks to acquire a full stake in Delcourt, a publisher focused mainly on comics.

The group said the combination would be a significant strategic step for the publishers. “Editis would strengthen its position in the comics and manga segment, which has significant potential in the French publishing market. Delcourt would gain the backing of a strong and diversified publishing group to support its further development,” the group said. The companies have not yet disclosed details of the talks.

Editis is a leading French publishing group comprising 56 publishing houses. Delcourt Group has average net revenue of around 105 million euros (approximately CZK 2.65 billion) and publishes about 700 new titles each year.

EP Corporate Group was established in 2020 to bring together the strategic assets of Daniel Křetínský and his management team. These include primarily Energetický a průmyslový holding (EPH), which comprises more than 70 companies across Europe, and EP Energy Transition, established last year following the transformation of the German group LEAG. In addition to its energy businesses, EPCG also includes, for example, media group CMI and EC Investments. Křetínský holds 89.3 percent of EPCG’s shares, with the remaining 10.7 percent held by a group of EPH managers. EPH was entered in the commercial register 15 years ago, on 10 August 2009.

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