EirGrid plc is the state-owned

electric power transmission Electric power transmission is the bulk movement of electrical energy from a generating site, such as a power plant, to an electrical substation. The interconnected lines that facilitate this movement form a ''transmission network''. This is ...

operator in Ireland. It is a

public limited company A public limited company (legally abbreviated to PLC or plc) is a type of public company under United Kingdom company law, some Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth jurisdictions, and the Republic of Ireland. It is a limited liability company ...

registered under the Companies Acts; its shares are held by the

Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications ( ga, An tAire Comhshaoil, Aeráide agus Cumarsáide) is a senior minister in the Government of Ireland and leads the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The ...

. It is one of a number of Irish state-sponsored bodies and is regulated by the

Commission for Regulation of Utilities The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU, ga, An Coimisiúin um Rialáil Fóntais), formerly known as the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER, ga, An Coimisiún um Rialáil Fuinnimh), is the Republic of Ireland's energy and water econ ...

History

EirGrid was established under Irish and European laws including the European Communities (Internal Market in Electricity) Regulations, 2000, to enable competition in the Irish power sector. It took over operation of the national power system on 1 July 2006. ESB (the Electricity Supply Board) currently holds ownership of the physical assets. The transmission assets constitute 6,500 km of overhead line and underground cable, as well as over 100 bulk substations. The system's significance for competition is that most large independent generators connect to the transmission system and utilise it to transport their power to all regions. EirGrid also operates the wholesale power market.

Role

EirGrid's primary purposes are the daily management of the Irish national grid, the operation of the wholesale power market, and the development of high voltage infrastructure to serve Ireland's economy. The Irish National Grid is a 3-phase

wide area synchronous grid A wide area synchronous grid (also called an "interconnection" in North America) is a three-phase electric power grid that has regional scale or greater that operates at a synchronized utility frequency and is electrically tied together during no ...

that is not synchronised with the GB's National Grid. The high voltage transmission system has been likened to "motorways for power" or "broadband power" providing electricity in high quality and in bulk to all regions. Transmission is seen as a key factor in facilitating inward investment by bodies like the Industrial Development Authority (IDA) and the development body Forfas. It is also seen as critical to increased renewable energy by organisations like Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) and the Irish Wind Energy Association (IWEA). EirGrid is currently developing a large number of major transmission projects. It is working with the regulator in line with Irish Government policy to develop a second major transmission line to Northern Ireland. The 500 MW

East–West Interconnector The East–West Interconnector is a 500MW high-voltage direct current submarine and subsoil power cable which connects the Irish and British electricity markets. The project was developed by the Irish national grid operator EirGrid. Aim The ...

linking the Irish power system to Great Britain was commissioned in 2012.UK-Ireland energy cable opens to bolster wind power
/ref> EirGrid will own that interconnector after it is developed, under the Irish Government decision. EirGrid has its own separate board and is regulated by the

Commission for Energy Regulation The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU, ga, An Coimisiúin um Rialáil Fóntais), formerly known as the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER, ga, An Coimisiún um Rialáil Fuinnimh), is the Republic of Ireland's energy and water econ ...

(the CER) and its shares are held by the

Irish Government The Government of Ireland ( ga, Rialtas na hÉireann) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in Ireland. The Constitution of Ireland vests executive authority in a government which is headed by the , the head of government. The governm ...

. EirGrid is responsible for balancing electricity consumption and generation, for the safe, secure and economical operation of the power system, and for the planning and development of the Irish power grid. Under the

Single Electricity Market The electricity sectors of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland are integrated and supply 2.5 million customers from a combination of coal, peat, natural gas, wind and hydropower. In 2018 natural gas produced 51.8%, while wind turbines gene ...

, EirGrid operates the wholesale power market on the

island of Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

with System Operator of Northern Ireland (SONI), which it now owns. More information on the functions of EirGrid, along with graphs of electricity demand/wind generation output updated every 15 minutes, are available on its website. Information on the Single Electricity Market Operator (SEMO) is also at that website.

References

External links

Official siteMap of the transmission networkDashboard mapArchiveCurrent power statusDashboardTwitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eirgrid Irish companies established in 2006 Electric power transmission system operators in the Republic of Ireland State-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications Energy companies established in 2006

History

Role

See also

References

External links