Energy giant Essent may start the search for an international partner, the company’s local authority shareholders have agreed, news agency ANP reports.

The decision was taken at a closed shareholders meeting on Friday. Noord-Brabant province is Essent’s biggest shareholder, with 30.8% of the shares.
Essent, the biggest energy group in the Netherlands with annual turnover of €7.4bn, is small in European terms and wants a strategic partner. Merger talks with Dutch peer Nuon broke down earlier this year following a dispute over corporate structure.