GDF Suez, the European energy champion to be created next month, would join a bid for Spain’s Gas Natural utility if asked by its Spanish partner La Caixa, the Catalan bank.

Gérard Mestrallet, chairman of Suez who will hold the same post at the new group, told the Financial Times on Wednesday that if La Caixa “asks us to accompany it, we will. There is no project today and we do not know if Repsol [Gas Natural’s second biggest shareholder] wants to sell. If the situation changes and our partners want us to play a role in Spain we are ready.” But, Mr Mestrallet insisted: “We will provoke nothing.”