ESB applied for licences just before shelving plans for gas plants

Semi-state denies market abuse after suspicions sparked by low price paid for contracts in 2019 auction

The ESB applied for an environmental licence for the project at Corduff in November 2020, and was granted it late last year. Picture: Getty

The ESB’s claims that it had to abandon the construction of crucial new gas plants due to environmental licensing delays has been called into question as it has emerged that the semi-state company only applied for the licences shortly before terminating its plans.

Last week, the Business Post revealed that the ESB had pulled out of delivering three gas power plants in the Dublin region for this year, which were due to be completed at ...