RPT-Strong field makes it to first base in $12 bln Australian energy sale

(Repeats story published late Thursday; no changes to text)
By Byron Kaye
SYDNEY, Aug 27 (Reuters) - A half dozen groups of companies
from four continents placed indicative bids by a Thursday
deadline for an electricity transmitter in Australia's most
populous state, a source told Reuters, a milestone in a record
$12 billion privatisation sale.
The high number of bidders suggests appetite for Australian
infrastructure with regulated and predictable revenue has been
unaffected, perhaps even helped, by roiling global equity and
commodities markets which have sent company profits and shares
plummeting.
New South Wales government-owned TransGrid, which runs
12,000 km (7,500 miles) of transmission lines from one side of
the state of 7.5 million people to another, meanwhile has its
earnings secured by a national energy regulator which approves
its fees five years in advance.
"A strong field of parties have lodged indicative bids for
the long-term lease of TransGrid," NSW Treasurer Gladys
Berejiklian said in an email statement without saying how many
parties bid and without identifying any bidders.
TransGrid is one of three assets expected to fetch a total
A$17 billion in the sale.
A source with direct knowledge of the process told Reuters
that five consortia bid and that the status of a sixth,
including another electricity company, Ausnet Services Ltd
AST.AX , Singapore Power and government-owned State Grid Corp
of China STGRD.UL was uncertain.
An Ausnet spokesman confirmed the company had previously
lodged a formal expression of interest but declined comment
further.
Other bidders included Australia's IFM Investors, an
investment fund owned by 30 pension funds, with Queensland
state-owned investment fund QIC, the source said.
Another consortium to bid was Australia's Hastings Funds
Management, Australian electricity firm Spark Infrastructure
SPK.AX , sovereign fund Abu Dhabi Investment Authority and
Kuwait's Wren House Infrastructure, with Canadian pension fund
investor Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, the source
said.
A fourth bidder was Canadian pension fund investor Borealis,
the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and AustralianSuper Pty
Ltd, the source said.
Infrastructure fund Global Infrastructure Partners and China
Southern Power Grid Co Ltd CNPOW.UL joined up for a bid and
Hong Kong's Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings Ltd 1038.HK
bid solo, the source added.
State treasurer Berejiklian did not say when she would make
a shortlist of preferred bidders, but said the government "will
now move to shortlist qualified parties for the lodgement of
binding bids which will be due in the coming months".
Investment bank UBS AG UBSN.S , which Berejiklian hired to
run the sale, along with Deutsche Bank (XETRA:DBKGn), was not immediately
available for comment.
($1 = 1.4006 Australian dollars)