Prior notification of a concentration (Case M.10620 – GIP / SSE / OTPP / SCOTIA GAS NETWORKS) Candidate case for simplified procedure (Text with EEA relevance) 2022/C 74/05
Date: 2022-02-15
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: United Kingdom, economic concentration, energy industry, gas supply, investment company, merger control, pension scheme, transmission network, transport infrastructure, waste management








C_2022074EN.01003301.xml










15.2.2022   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 74/33






Prior notification of a concentration
(Case M.10620 – GIP / SSE / OTPP / SCOTIA GAS NETWORKS)
Candidate case for simplified procedure
(Text with EEA relevance)
(2022/C 74/05)

1.   
On 7 February 2022, the Commission received notification of a proposed concentration pursuant to Article 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (1).
This notification concerns the following undertakings:






—


Global Infrastructure Partners (‘GIP’) (USA),










—


Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (‘OTPP’) (Canada),










—


SSE plc (‘SSE’) (UK),










—


Scotia Gas Networks Ltd (‘SGN’) (UK).




GIP, OTPP and SSE will acquire within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) and 3(4) of the Merger Regulation joint control of SGN.
The concentration is accomplished by way of purchase of shares.


2.   
The business activities of the undertakings concerned:






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GIP: a leading independent infrastructure fund manager focused on the transport, energy, waste and other sectors,










—


OTPP: administration of pension benefits and the investment of pension plan assets,










—


SSE: a multinational energy company. SSE’s core businesses consist of three segments: i) SSEN Transmission, which owns, operates and maintains the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland; ii) SSEN Distribution, which owns, operates and maintains the electricity distribution networks in the north of Scotland and central southern England; and iii) SSE Renewables, which carries out the development, construction, operation, and ownership of assets that generate electricity from renewable sources,










—


SGN: the second largest gas distribution network in the UK. SGN owns Scotland Gas Networks plc and Southern Gas Networks plc. These two networks cover the whole of Scotland, south London and the south east of England.






3.   
On preliminary examination, the Commission finds that the notified transaction could fall within the scope of the Merger Regulation. However, the final decision on this point is reserved.
Pursuant to the Commission Notice on a simplified procedure for treatment of certain concentrations under Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (2) it should be noted that this case is a candidate for treatment under the procedure set out in the Notice.


4.   
The Commission invites interested third parties to submit their possible observations on the proposed operation to the Commission.
Observations must reach the Commission not later than 10 days following the date of this publication. The following reference should always be specified:
M.10620 – GIP / SSE / OTPP / SCOTIA GAS NETWORKS
Observations can be sent to the Commission by email, by fax, or by post. Please use the contact details below:
Email: COMP-MERGER-REGISTRY@ec.europa.eu
Fax +32 22964301
Postal address:





European Commission




Directorate-General for Competition




Merger Registry




1049 Bruxelles/Brussel




BELGIQUE/BELGIË







(1)  OJ L 24, 29.1.2004, p. 1 (the ‘Merger Regulation’).

(2)  OJ C 366, 14.12.2013, p. 5.