PRAGUE/FRANKFURT, April 8 (Reuters) - Czech investor EPH is set to acquire Vattenfall's VATN.UL loss-making German lignite coal mines and associated power plants in Germany, three people familiar with the matter said on Friday.
The deal is expected to be signed next week, one of the sources said, while Vattenfall's supervisory board is expected to give a final nod in about 10 days, two other sources said.
Vattenfall and EPH both declined to comment.
Contender Czech Coal had dropped out of the bidding, one of the people said.
A proposal from German energy group Steag and Australian investment fund Macquarie MQG.AX had asked for a large contribution from Vattenfall and was therefore seen as having lower chances than EPH's bid, another source said.