* Price range 17.5-23 zlotys
* Bookbuilding set for Oct 13-27
* 10 percent of new shares for individual investors
* PGE IPO seen one of Europe's largest in 2009
(Adds quote, details)
By Pawel Bernat and Patryk Wasilewski
WARSAW, Oct 12 (Reuters) - Poland's top utility PGE set the price range for its flotation at 17.5-23 zlotys per share, valuing one of this year's largest initiial public offers in Europe at up to $2.1 billion.
PGE plans to sell 259.5 million new shares, or 15 percent of its enlarged capital, for upto 6 billion zlotys ($2.1 billion) to fund extensive modernisation of outdated and heavily polluting coal-fired generators.
A large chunk of the inflows will also be used to buy out state stakes in several PGE units.
The Polish government, which is seeking funds to help plug a growing budget hole, may also receive a special dividend worth as much as half of PGE's earnings from the first three quarters of 2009.
"We offer investors a chance to invest in a company that is a key to Poland's energy sector," PGE Chief Executive Tomasz Zadroga told a news conference.
PGE is Poland's largest producer, generating 42 percent of its energy. If priced at the upper end of the range, it will be worth some $14 billion, making it the second largest listed Polish company behind bank Pekao.
The deal, arranged by UniCredit and Goldman Sachs, would be the second largest ever in Poland after bank PKO BP's $2.3 billion listing in 2004.
PGE scheduled bookbuilding among institutional investors and subscription for individual investors for Oct. 13-27 and will set the final issue price on the last day of the process.
The group set aside 10 percent of the new shares for individual investors. The market debut is expected by Nov. 6.
EUROBONDS
PGE plans to invest 38.9 billion zlotys by 2012, mainly in new capacity and distribution. With half of capital expenditure to be financed with its own cash, the remaining 20 billion zlotys will be financed from the IPO and corporate bond markets.
"We are working on the eurobond issue that could take place over the next six months. The minimum offer is 500 million euros," Chief Financial Officer Wojciech Topolnicki said.
According to the prospectus, PGE's net profit nearly doubled to 1.8 billion zlotys in the first half of this year while sales rose 5 percent to 11.1 billion.
The company plans to pay an annual dividend of 40-50 percent of group earnings.
PGE, which is responsible for the country's plan to build at least one nuclear power plant by 2020, will join Czech CEZ and Polish Enea as the third listed utility in eastern Europe. (Additional reporting by Maciej Onoszko; Editing by David Cowell) ($1=.6782 Euro) ($1=2.898 Zloty)