Energy

Eirgrid set to buy emergency power generators itself despite licence terms

The move is likely to prove controversial as it is prohibited in the national grid operator’s licence agreement

Leaked draft details of Eirgrid’s Generation Capacity Statement, which is due to be published in September, have been seen by the Business Post

Eirgrid plans to directly procure emergency power generators in winter 2023-24, despite this being prohibited in its licence agreement, the Business Post has learned.

The move by the national grid operator comes after the existing tender system failed to deliver temporary power for this winter, which has left the state with no option but to reduce electricity demand or face blackouts.

A projected gap between demand and supply over the coming winters led Eirgrid to ...