李嘉诚拟竞购英国天然气配送业务

 　　Asian tycoon 1 Li Ka-shing is assembling a bid for a majority stake in the gas distribution business of National Grid 2, the UK electricity network operator, bringing an experienced UK infrastructure 3 investor 4 to the auction 5 that is expected to value the business at ￡11bn including debt.

　　亚洲富豪李嘉诚(Li Ka-shing)正在筹划投标收购英国电力网络运营商——英国国家电网(National Grid)的天然气配送业务的多数股权，这意味着对英国基础设施经验丰富的一位投资者加入这场拍卖，预计这块业务的估值将达到110亿英镑（包括债务）。
　　Cheung Kong Infrastructure, a part of Mr Li’s sprawling 6 global business empire, is leading a group of investors 7 that is likely to submit an initial consortium offer by the end of the week, people close to the talks said.
　　长江基建(CKI)是李嘉诚庞大全球商业帝国的一部分。知情人士称，该公司很可能在本周结束时带领一群投资者提交初步财团报价。
　　CKI did not respond to requests for comment.
　　长江基建没有回复记者的置评请求。
　　The National Grid stake sale is set to be one of the largest infrastructure deals in the UK of recent years.
　　英国国家电网的股权出售势必将成为英国近年来最大的基础设施交易之一。
　　It will also be a major test of the new conditions on foreign investment in UK infrastructure set by Theresa May’s government last week after it gave approval for the new ￡18bn Hinkley Point nuclear power station, which will be part-owned by a Chinese state-owned company.
　　它也将意味着，特里萨?梅(Theresa May)的政府对外资投资于英国基础设施设置的新条件将迎来一大考验；这些条件是英国政府上周批准新的180亿英镑欣克利角核电站项目之后宣布的，中国国有企业将拥有那个项目的部分股权。
　　The UK prime minister will review the 2002 Enterprise Act to see whether infrastructure should be added to the sectors 8 in which ministers can intervene.
　　英国首相将审阅2002年《企业法》(Enterprise Act)，看看基础设施应不应该被添加到部长级官员们可以干预的行业名单。
　　At present the government can only step in if a takeover could threaten financial stability, media plurality or national security.
　　目前英国政府只能在收购可能危及金融稳定、媒体多样性或国家安全的情况下才能介入。
　　First-round bids for the 51 per cent stake in the business, which distributes gas to nearly 11m customers around the UK, are due by Friday, these and other people involved in the process said.
　　前述知情人士以及参与股权出售过程的其他人士表示，对英国国家电网天然气配送业务51%股权的第一轮出价最迟必须在本周五提交。这块业务向英国各地近1100万客户配送天然气。
　　Analysts 9 have said they expect a deal to value the entire gas distribution unit at around ￡10bn-￡11bn including debt.
　　分析师们表示，他们预计这笔交易将使整个天然气配送业务的估值达到100亿至110亿英镑左右，包括债务。
　　The process is expected to take at least several weeks and National Grid is being advised by Morgan Stanley, Barclays and Robey Warshaw.
　　整个过程预计至少需要几个星期，英国国家电网的顾问是摩根士丹利(Morgan Stanley)、巴克莱银行(Barclays)和Robey Warshaw。
　　The auction has already attracted interest from other infrastructure investors and sovereign wealth funds.
　　本次拍卖已经吸引了其他基础设施投资者和主权财富基金的兴趣。
　　One consortium participating in the auction is led by Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, which has put together a group that includes sovereign wealth funds from Kuwait and Abu Dhabi.
　　参与竞拍的一个财团由加拿大退休金计划投资委员会(CPPIB)牵头，财团成员包括科威特和阿布扎比的主权财富基金。
　　Another is led by Macquarie and includes backing from Allianz, the German insurer, Dalmore Capital and China Investment Corporation, China’s sovereign wealth fund.
　　另一个财团由麦格理(Macquarie)牵头，财团成员包括德国保险公司安联(Allianz)、Dalmore Capital以及中国主权财富基金——中国投资公司(CIC)。
　　Fosun, the privately-held Chinese conglomerate 10, has also been attempting to put together its own consortium bid that would feature a number of Chinese investors, people close to the process said.
　　知情人士称，私人控股的中国企业集团复星(Fosun)也一直在试图组织自己的财团竞标，该财团将包括多家中国投资者。
　　Fosun declined to comment but one person close to the group said that it was planning to place a bid this week.
　　复星拒绝置评，但接近该集团的一位人士表示，它确实计划在本周投标。
　　However, at least one Chinese investor interested in participating in the auction has opted 11 not to work with Fosun believing that a mainland Chinese-heavy consortium stands less of a chance of winning the auction.
　　不过，至少有一家对本次拍卖感兴趣的中国投资者选择不与复星合作，相信一个中资含量较高的财团竞价胜出的几率较小。
　　In another high-profile infrastructure auction this year - the sale of a controlling stake in London City Airport - the selling investors opted against a higher bid from China’s HNA Group in favour of a lower offer from a Canadian-led consortium.
　　在今年另一场令人瞩目的基础设施拍卖——出售伦敦城市机场(London City Airport)的控股权——期间，卖方投资者决定不要中国海航集团(HNA Group)的更高报价，而宁可接受加拿大投资者牵头的财团的较低报价。
　　Despite the lower value, the sellers determined 12 that consortium could close the deal faster and with less political uncertainty 13, people close to that auction said at the time.
　　知情人士当时表示，尽管报价较低，但卖家确信选择加拿大财团能够更快完成交易，政治不确定性也会较小。
　　A successful deal for Mr Li, who has been investing in the UK for over two decades, would add to a broad infrastructure portfolio 14 in the country that spans everything from ports to water and telecoms.
　　李嘉诚在英国投资已有20余年。此次若能竞拍成功，将使他在英国的广泛基础设施资产组合——从港口、水务，到电信——更加充实。
　　His Cheung Kong group bought the electricity distribution business from EDF in 2010 for ￡5.8bn.
　　他旗下的长江实业集团(Cheung Kong group)曾在2010年斥资58亿英镑买下法国电力(EDF)的英国配电业务。
　　The company also provides gas in some parts of the country through its two distribution networks.
　　该公司目前已通过两个配送网络在英国部分地区供应天然气。
　　His CK Hutchinson conglomerate owns European mobile group 3, which earlier this year failed to gain approval from the EU competition authority for a planned ￡10bn takeover of O2, Telefónica’s UK arm.
　　他旗下的长江和记实业(CK Hutchison)拥有欧洲移动运营商3，后者100亿英镑并购西班牙电信公司(Telefónica)英国业务O2的计划今年早些时候被欧盟竞争当局否决。
　　Last week, National Grid raised ￡3bn as it sold the largest ever sterling-denominated corporate 15 bond as part of a plan to refinance its existing debt.
　　上周，英国国家电网通过史上最大的英镑计价公司债券发行筹资30亿英镑，这是该公司对现有债务进行再融资的计划的一部分。
　　National Grid plans to return as much of the proceeds from the stake to investors, while continuing to fund investment in network infrastructure.
　　英国国家电网拟将大致等额的股权出售所得返还投资者，同时继续投资于网络基础设施。