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Press Release - 4th April 2011

Mutual Energy Limited (MEL), owners and operators of the Scotland Northern Ireland Gas Pipeline and Belfast Gas Transmission Pipeline, has recently signed a new maintenance and emergency response contract covering its gas pipelines with Scotland Gas Networks (SGN), the UK’s second largest gas networks company. The award follows a thorough and lengthy competitive tender process.

Under the terms of the new contract, which is for five years with an option for further extension, SGN will have dedicated engineers available locally, as well as in Scotland, and will therefore be positioned for a faster and more encompassing first line response. Two full-time jobs will be created in Northern Ireland as a result of the new contract which comes into force on 1st April 2011.

Commenting on the award, MEL Chief Executive Paddy Larkin said “This new contract represents best practice in pipeline integrity management and gives Mutual a local resource but with the back up and support of the wider skills and expertise that resides in SGN. It also allows us to access the operational benefits of maintaining our two pipelines together instead of separately. The fact that such an enhanced service can be delivered at no extra cost to the consumer provides further evidence of the benefits of mutualisation working for Northern Ireland’s energy customers.”

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Notes for editors:

1. Mutual Energy Limited is a company limited by guarantee. Its principal objective is to own and operate energy infrastructure assets in the interests of the energy consumers of Northern Ireland. The company is a mutualised entity and therefore has no shareholders and its primary stakeholders are energy consumers
2. The Scotland to Northern Ireland Gas Pipeline (SNIP) transports gas to Ballylumford power station which generates up to half of Northern Ireland’s electricity. It was mutualised in 2005 and refinanced on a £107 million 25 year bond. The Belfast Gas Transmission Pipeline transports gas from Ballylumford onwards to gas customers in the Greater Belfast and Larne areas. It was acquired by Mutual Energy from former owners Phoenix in 2008 and refinanced on a £109 million 40 year bond.

Issued on behalf of Mutual Energy Limited by Lagan Consulting.

For further press & media information contact Lynda Millar at Lagan Consulting

Tel: 028 9261 9550
Email: lynda.millar@laganconsulting.com