ESB prepares for grid switchover

RESPONSIBILITY for managing the country's power line network will finally be switched from the ESB to a separate State-owned firm in the summer, the Government said yesterday.

Communications minister Noel Dempsey said "the remaining pieces of the jigsaw" were close to being resolved and that Eirgrid, a new dedicated body independent of the ESB, would take over the running of the national grid shortly.

Plans for the changeover to Eirgrid have been in place for years, but the process has been stalled by complications over the ownership of the assets that make up the grid, as well as negotiations over staff affected by the switch. The changeover has been sparked by the programme to encourage new entrants to the Irish power market to take on the ESB.

The ESB will retain its functions of generating and supplying electricity, but will be treated in the same way as other power generators by Eirgrid when it takes over ESB's grid operation function. The grid is currently operated by ESB National Grid, a ring-fenced subsidiary of ESB.

Mr Dempsey said the forthcoming appointment of a chief executive for Eirgrid, coupled with recent changes to the law, meant the necessary components were falling into place. ESB National Grid's recently-appointed managing director Dermot Byrne will head Eirgrid.

"As shareholder on behalf of the Government, I expect the momentum of progress to be maintained and residual problems resolved during the summer," said Mr Dempsey.

Mr Dempsey was speaking at the opening of the National Grid's new €11 million state-of-the-art national control centre in Dublin. The centre will be responsible for managing electricity flows on the national power network and ensuring demand for power is matched by sufficient supply.

The centre replaces infrastructure dating to the late 1980s, when power demand was half of today's. It operates 24/7 monitoring the 6,600km network of power lines, as well as generation and distribution stations and the cross-Border interconnector with the Northern power grid. Mr Byrne said Eirgrid would be "a crucial addition" to the Irish electricity industry.