Suez not interested in acquiring British Energy

PARIS (Reuters) - The chief executive of French utility group Suez (LYOE.PA) said he was not interested in acquiring nuclear power station operator British Energy Group BGY.L

Gerard Mestrallet, whose company is merging with Gaz de France GAZ.PA, said however the GDF-Suez combination could participate in the consolidation of the British power sector, along with other companies.

"We are absolutely not interested in acquiring British Energy," Mestrallet, who will take the reins of the merged group, told a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday.

"But the British government has said that there would not be in any case a power monopoly in Great Britain. So this means that the buyer of British Energy will not be alone and if there are other firms, we may look," he said.

Asked by reporters to clarify whether GdF-Suez could consider taking a stake in British Energy, he said: "not at all", adding he meant he would consider playing a role in the British power sector as a whole.

He also said the GdF-Suez group could consider bidding for one or two EPR nuclear reactors in Britain.

Sources have said French power utility EDF (EDF.PA) has made a bid for British Energy.

(Reporting by Marie Maitre and Dominique Vidalon; Editing by David Holmes)