Viridian Group

Viridian Group, the Irish energy business, owns Energia, Huntstown Power, Northern Ireland Electricity and Powerteam Electrical Services. The Group has a turnover of circa £1 billion / €1.5 billion and employs around 1,500 staff.

Viridian has played a leading role in promoting an all-island electricity market in Ireland. Viridian’s strategy is strongly focused on Irish energy markets, maximising the efficiency of its regulated electricity infrastructure in Northern Ireland and growing an integrated energy business in competitive markets across Ireland, backed by its investment in power generation.

Viridian’s competitive market retail arm, Energia, is a leading supplier of electricity to the competitive electricity market. Energia has a c25% market share in the business electricity market on an all–island basis. It obtains wholesale electricity from a number of sources, including principally Viridian’s Huntstown power station north of Dublin. Energia is also a significant supplier of electricity generated from renewable sources and supplies gas to a number of large industrial and commercial customers.

Huntstown was the first independent generator in the Republic; with a capacity of 343MW, it is capable of supplying around 10% of the Republic’s electricity needs. A second phase of generation at Huntstown, due for completion in 2007, will bring Viridian’s investment in the Republic to €500 million.

Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) owns and manages the Northern Ireland electricity infrastructure, which connects 785,000 customers via a network of 45,000 km (28,000 miles), of which 32,000 km (20,000 miles) are overhead lines. NIE Supply retails electricity to around 770,000 domestic and small business customers.

Powerteam Electrical Services designs, supplies and constructs high voltage electricity networks for utility and private operators in the UK and Ireland.

Recent highlights

November 2007
Introduction of the all-island wholesale Single Electricity Market (SEM)

Autumn 2007
400MW Huntstown 2 plant begins commercial operation

May 2006
Tyrone to Cavan electricity interconnector announced.

October 2005
Work begins on construction of a second CCGT power plant at Huntstown, North of Dublin.

April 2005
Non-domestic electricity market in Northern Ireland opens to competition.
Rep. Of Ireland electricity market opens fully to competition.
Disposal of IT and business process outsourcing subsidiary Sx3.

April 2003
Sale of Moyle Interconnector to NI Energy Holdings, a not-for-profit venture.

November 2002
Huntstown power station, 345 MW CCGT, begins commercial operation.

April 2002
NIE Moyle interconnector with Scotland comes into commercial operation.
North – South Irish electricity interconnector restored.

October 2001
NIE wins the UK Business Excellence Award.

February 2001
NIE restores power to almost 100,000 customers within 18 hours following major storm event.

December 2000
Construction of Huntstown power station begins.

March 2000
NIE becomes the first utility company in the UK to announce abolition of standing charges for domestic customers.

January 2000
NIE wins BT Northern Ireland Millennium Quality Award.

December 1998
Winter storms cause extensive damage to Northern Ireland’s electricity infrastructure.

January 1998
Viridian Group established.