|
The national electricity grid operator, EirGrid, has announced
that it has completed the purchase of the company that runs
the electricity transmission system in Northern Ireland -
SONI - for a reported €37.6m.
SONI
was owned by Northern Ireland Electricity plc (NIE)
and is responsible for ensuring the safe, secure and economic
operation of the electricity transmission network in the Six
Counties.
EirGrid and SONI are already partners in the Single Electricity
Market Operator (SEMO) joint venture, which carries out the
role of market operator for the all-island wholesale Single
Electricity Market.
EirGrid said the sale is consistent with the agreement reached
by NIE with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment
(DETI) and the Northern Ireland Authority for Utility Regulation
(NIAUR) - "to divest SONI in order to further enhance the
independence of the TSO in Northern Ireland in accordance
with international best practice".
Completion follows changes to the licences of both SONI and
EirGrid, which were approved by the regulatory authorities
following a public consultation process.
|
