FRANKFURT, June 7 (Reuters) - Macquarie-owned MGX.AX Thyssengas has attracted five binding bids as the auction of the German gas grid is drawing to a close, people familiar with the matter said.
Belgian gas operator Fluxys FLUX.BR , Italian peer Snam SRG.MI , First State Investments, the asset management unit of Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) CBA.AX , a Chinese group as well as a consortium of Luxembourg-based power firm Enovos ENVIL.UL and Swiss Life, have handed in offers, the sources said on Tuesday.
Thyssengas, which operates a 4,200 km underground network and employs 270 staff, transports up to 10 billion cubic metres of natural gas per year. Its enterprise value, which includes debt, is seen at 500 million to 550 million euros ($567-$624 million).
Macquarie and the bidders declined to comment or were not immediately available for comment.
Power and gas grids are among the most sought-after infrastructure assets, giving investors stable returns on their investments of as much as 9 percent at a time when key interest rates in Europe have fallen to zero. ($1 = 0.8812 euros)