Moyle auctions for capacity from October 2012 - conclusionsPress Release: Monday 8th January 2007
MOYLE STRENGTHENS ALL-ISLAND ENERGY SYSTEM
A new agreement between the electricity grid operators in Ireland and the owners of the undersea interconnector with Scotland will bring benefits to customers across the island.
EirGrid, the grid operator in the Republic, has concluded a commercial agreement with the System Operator for Northern Ireland (SONI) for 100 megawatts of capacity on the Moyle Interconnector. To enable the energy to be accessed in GB, SONI needed to conclude a further commercial agreement with the Moyle Interconnector Limited, the owner of the link.
The electricity links between Scotland, Northern Ireland and the Republic are benefiting electricity customers in the Republic of Ireland as well as in Northern Ireland, EirGrid has stated, following the conclusion of an agreement in relation to transmission capacity on the Moyle Interconnector.
"Increased electricity interconnection is a growing trend in the European Union. It provides concrete benefits including increased security of supply and also facilitates the development of competitive markets for power," said Dermot Byrne, Chief Executive of EirGrid plc. "Consumers should see even greater benefit in the future as the Tyrone to Cavan and Ireland to Wales interconnectors are constructed.
"We are pleased to have put in place this agreement and look forward to continued co-operation in relation to interconnection where there are benefits for consumers", said Mr Byrne.
Robin McCormick, System Operations Manager, SONI Ltd, said, “The two system operators cooperate on a real time basis 24/7 and this commercial arrangement reflects the growing level of interaction necessary to operate the interconnected electricity system efficiently.”
Mutual Energy Executive Director Alan Rainey said, “We are delighted to have concluded this new arrangement with both of the electricity system operators in Ireland and we will continue to work closely with them to maximise its benefits. The Moyle Interconnector can also provide other benefits as very reliable source of support and stability for networks and system operators in addition to trading energy across systems.
This is a win-win for the energy consumer. Interconnector support means a more reliable electricity supply North and South. Also, the commercial benefit of this deal will be passed through to electricity consumers in Northern Ireland over the short, medium and long-term. “
Mutual Energy Media Contact:
Michael McKernan, Lagan Consulting Tel: +44 (0)28 9261 9550
email: michael.mckernan@laganconsulting.com
Last Updated: 22nd August 2006