Viridian is the leading independent energy company in the all-Ireland market.

With c.1500 highly experienced staff and management teams, Viridian’s strategy is strongly focused on Irish energy markets, maximising the efficiency of our regulated electricity infrastructure in Northern Ireland and growing energy businesses in the competitive market across Ireland, backed by investment in power generation.

The Group comprises:

• Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) - the transmission and distribution of electricity in Northern Ireland
   
• NIE Energy - power procurement through PPB and supply of electricity through NIE Energy Supply. These businesses were separated from NIE on 1 November 2007 in accordance with the requirements of the 2003 EU Electricity Directive which required the independence of the distribution system operation function
   
• Powerteam Electrical Services - providing high voltage electrical contracting and other infrastructure services to a range of utility and industrial customers
   
• Viridian Power & Energy (VP&E) - generation in the RoI and supply in the competitive electricity and gas markets in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and an all-Ireland renewables portfolio.

Northern Ireland Electricity (NIE) is the Viridian Group’s major subsidiary. Northern Ireland Electricity is responsible for the planning, development, construction and maintenance of the transmission and distribution network, and for the operation of the distribution network.

The electricity grid comprises a number of interconnected networks of overhead line and underground cables, which are used for the transfer of electricity to customers via a number of substations. There are approximately 2,100km of transmission network, of which some 80km are underground, and approximately 42,900km of the distribution system, of which some 13,100km are underground. There are currently over 790,000 customers connected to the distribution system.

NIE Energy supplies electricity to around 780,000 homes and businesses in Northern Ireland. As Northern Ireland’s premier energy retailer, NIE Energy aims to provide customers with great value for money and the highest standards of customer service. Committed to helping the environment, NIE Energy supplies Eco Energy renewable electricity to more than 21,000 households. A UK leader in ‘pay-as-you-go’ Keypad metering, around one in four households in Northern Ireland now pay by this method.

With an unrivalled history and heritage of serving customers in this part of the world, NIE Energy is proud to be Northern Ireland’s premier energy supplier.

NIE Energy Power Procurement Business (PPB) manages a portfolio of power purchase agreements with a total contracted generation capacity of 1532MW.

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

Viridian Power and Energy’s independent retail arm, Energia, is a leading supplier of competitive gas and conventional and renewable electricity to the industrial and commercial electricity markets. Energia’s retail position in the new single electricity market is underpinned by Viridian’s investment in state of the art, gas fired generation plant at Huntstown, North Dublin.

Energia is also a significant supplier of electricity generated from renewable sources. Viridian acquired the major wind farm operator Eco Wind Power from Treasury Holdings in April 2008. Energia will use the acquisition to strengthen its position as a leading all-island player in the provision of renewable power.
 
The company also supplies gas to a number of large industrial and commercial customers.

Huntstown, the first independent generator in the Republic, consists of two combined cycle gas turbine stations with a total generation capacity of 747 megawatts (MW). Huntstown 1 and Huntstown 2 were commissioned in November 2002 and October 2007 respectively.