By Luciana Magalhaes and Leticia Fucuchima
SAO PAULO (Reuters) -J&F Investimentos SA, the holding company owned by Brazil’s billionaire Batista brothers, is in talks to acquire French utility EDF’s Rio de Janeiro thermal plant, according to two people familiar with the matter.
The deal, which could fetch up to 2 billion reais ($374 billion) according to one of the sources, has also drawn interest from other bidders, they added. One of the sources noted that the asset sale, coordinated by Bank of America, is still in its early stages and J&F has not yet made a binding offer.
J&F and Bank of America declined to comment. EDF did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
J&F, which also owns meatpacker JBS, has been expanding its reach in the energy sector through its subsidiary Ambar Energia.
The holding company separately made an offer this week to buy Roraima Energia, a power distribution company in the northern Brazilian state owned by the Oliveira Energia group.
(Reporting by Luciana Magalhaes and Leticia FucuchimaEditing by Brad Haynes and Chizu Nomiyama )
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