Competition agency starts investigation into monopoly of DTEK energy holding on electricity market

The Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine has started an investigation into the monopoly of DTEK energy holding on the electricity market, Committee Head Yuriy Terentyev said at a press conference in Kyiv on September 18.

"Today an investigation to check the accusations of NCER [the National Commission for Energy, Housing and Utilities Services Regulation] against the DTEK group of companies has been opened," he said.

Terentyev said that the committee does not consider the heating generation to be separate market, however this will not be taken into account during the investigation.

"We do not speak about heating generation as a separate market, but the integrity and interrelation of all electricity generation market players show that market players with a market share of around 10%, 10-15% could have power on the market," he said.

Terentyev said that the decision to open the investigation was made by the government-appointed envoy after a committee meeting was held on September 17 behind closed doors.

The press service of DTEK said that the holding is not monopolist and hopes that the investigation will be unbiased and transparent.

"DTEK is operating strictly in line with the requirements of antimonopoly laws and it is not a monopolist. Any abuse of monopoly by the company is out of the question," the press service said.

The holding said that it has not received any letters on the investigation being opened, however DTEK is ready to provide all the required information to the Antimonopoly Committee.