Electricity Supply Board
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{{Infobox_Company |
company_name = Electricity Supply Board |
company_logo = [[Image:Esb.gif|center]]|
company_type = [[Nationalised|Statutory Corporation]]|
company_slogan = "Bringing energy to your door"|
foundation = Dublin, [[Ireland]] (1927) |
location = Dublin, [[Ireland]]|
key_people = Padraig McManus, [[CEO]]<br> Lochlann Quinn [[Chairman]] |
num_employees = 8,500 (2005) |
products = [[Electricity]], bandwidth solutions, engineering consultants|
revenue = Over €2 billion in 2004 |
industry = [[electricity generation]]/[[Electric power transmission|transmission]]/[[Electricity distribution|distribution]], telecoms infrastructure, consultancy|
homepage = [http://www.esb.ie/ www.esb.ie]|
}}
[[Image:IMG WestOffalyPower5777.jpg|thumb|357px|West Offaly Power Station]]
[[Image:IMG LanesboroughPowerPlant1724.jpg|thumb|357px|Lough Ree Power Station]]
The '''Electricity Supply Board''' (ESB) ([[Irish language|Irish]]: ''Bord Soláthair an Leictreachais''), sometimes called ''ESB Ireland'' to differentiate it from [[United States|US]] utilities, is responsible for generating and transmitting most of the [[electricity]] in the [[Republic of Ireland]].
There are three interconnectors with [[Northern Ireland Electricity]] and it is proposed that a new north-south interconnector will be constructed over the next few years. The [[Irish Government]] has recently approved the construction of a subsea ''[[East West Interconnector]]'' between [[Ireland]] and [[Wales]], this will be owned by EirGrid. Another interconnector is being developed by a third party [[Imera Power]].
The ESB has come under increased competition in recent year because of competition and deregulation policy. In recent years there have been independent power stations constructed at [[Edenderry, County Offaly|Edenderry]], [[County Offaly]]; [[Huntstown]] and [[Ringsend]], [[Dublin]]; [[Tynagh]], [[County Galway]] and Aughinish, [[County Limerick]].
==History==
The ESB was established by the fledgling [[Irish Free State]] government under the [http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1927_27.html ''Electricity (Supply) Act, 1927''] to manage Ireland's electricity supply after the successful ''Shannon Scheme'' at [[Ardnacrusha]]. The scheme was Ireland's first large scale electricity plant - and at the time, it was believed that it would meet the total energy demands of Ireland. To give an idea of the growth in demand, the output of Ardnacrusha is now approximately two per cent of national peak demand for power.
By 1937, plans were being finalised for the construction of several more hydro-electric plants. The plans called for stations at [[Poulaphouca]], [[Golden Falls]], [[Leixlip]] (all in [[Leinster]]), [[Clady]], Cliff and Cathleen's Fall (between [[Belleek, County Fermanagh|Belleek]] and [[Ballyshannon]] in [[County Donegal]]), [[Carrigadrohid]] and [[Inniscarra]] (in [[County Cork]]). All these new plants were completed by 1949, and together harnessed approximately 75% of Ireland's inland water power potential. Many of these plants are still in operation — however as could be expected with continuing growth in demand their combined capacity falls far short of Ireland's modern needs.
With Ireland's towns and cities benefiting from electricity, the new government pushed the idea of ''Rural Electrification''. Between 1946 and 1979, the ESB connected in excess of 420,000 customers in rural Ireland. The Rural Electrification Scheme has been described as "the Quiet Revolution" because of the major socio-economic change it brought about. The process was greatly helped in 1955 by the [http://acts2.oireachtas.ie/zza20y1955.1.html Electricity Supply Amendment Act, 1955].
In 1947, the ESB, needing ever more generation capacity, built the ''North Wall'' station on a 7.5 acre (30,000 m²) site in [[Dublin|Dublin's]] industrial Port area on the North side of the [[River Liffey]] on the site of an old oil refinery. The original station consisted of one 12.5 MW steam turbine that was originally purchased for a power station at [[Portarlington]] but instead used at ''North Wall''. Other power stations built around this time included the peat fired stations at [[Portarlington]], [[County Laois]], and Allenwood in [[County Kildare]].
Because of the risks of becoming dependent on imported fuel sources and the potential for harvesting and utilising indigenous peat, the ESB - in partnership with ''[[Bord na Móna]]'' - established those stations and ESB also built Lanesboro power station in 1958. Located in [[County Longford]], the plant burns [[peat]], cut by ''Bord na Móna'' in the bogs of the Irish midlands. In 1965 the [[Shannonbridge]] station was commissioned. It is located in County Offaly. The two stations have been replaced by new peat-fired stations near the same locations, and peat is also used to power the independent Edenderry Power plant, in County Offaly.
As in most countries, energy consumption is low at night and high during the day. Aware of the substantial waste of night-time capacity, the ESB commissioned the [[Turlough Hill]] pumped storage hydro-electric station in 1968. This station, located in [[County Wicklow]], pumps water uphill at night with the excess energy created by other stations, and releases it downhill during the day to turn turbines. The plant can generate up to 292 MW of power - but output is limited in terms of hours because of the storage capacity of the reservoir.
[[Image:RingsendPowerStation1459.jpg|thumb|right|357px|The power station in Ringsend, Dublin]]
The 1970s brought about a continued increase in Ireland's industrialisation and with it, a greater demand for energy. This new demand was to be met by the construction of the country's two largest power stations — [[Poolbeg]] in 1971 and [[Moneypoint]] in 1979. The latter, in [[County Clare]], remains Ireland's only coal-burning plant and can produce 915 MW - just shy of the 1015 MW capacity of Poolbeg. In 2002 and 2003, new independent stations were constructed - Huntstown Power (north Dublin) and Dublin Bay Power ([[Ringsend]], Dublin).
In 1991, the ESB established the ''ESB Archive'' to store historical documents relating to the company and its impact on [[Culture of Ireland|Irish life]].
On [[8 September]] [[2003]], two of the last remaining places in Ireland unconnected to the national grid - [[Inishturbot]] and [[Inishturk (County Galway)|Inishturk]] islands (off the coast of [[Galway]])- were finally connected to the mains supply. Some islands are still powered by small diesel-run power stations.
60 wind farms are currently connected to the power system (July 2006) and have the capacity to generate 590 MW of power, depending on wind conditions. These wind farms are mainly owned by independent companies and landowners.
On [[16 March]] [[2005]], the ESB announced that it is to sell its ShopElectric (''ESB Retail'') chain of shops, with the exception of the Dublin Fleet Street and Cork Academy Street outlets, to [[Bank of Scotland (Ireland)]], who will convert them into high street banks. Existing staff are to be offered positions as bank tellers.
On [[27 March]] [[2008]], the ESB announced a €22bn capital investment programme in [[renewable energy]] technology, with the aim to halve its [[carbon emissions]] within 12 years and achieve carbon net-zero by 2035 [http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/mhojeyidsnsn/rss2/].
==Relative size in a global context==
The ESB had a monopoly in the Irish electricity market since 1927. Under [[European Union]] legislation, the Irish electricity market was opened to full competition for domestic users<ref>No company offers supply to domestic consumers as an alternative to ESB as of October 2006.</ref> in 2005. Business users had already been able to choose their electricity supplier from 2001. The deregulation of the market for electricity supply has been less effective than anticipated. Commentators have considered that the ESB should be broken up or privatised. This ignores the fact that ESB operated on a break even basis<ref>Costs and revenue should be similar with no profit on sales to be taken.</ref> for its first 70 years in accordance with the Electricity Act (1927).
Having no shareholders requiring a dividend, meant that profit margins for competitors, who were to buy wholesale power for subsequent resale to customers moving away from ESB were small and several entrants to the market to supply customers in competition to ESB exited the market.
The population of Ireland and its electricity demand for a dispersed population, largely non-industrialised is relatively small in comparison to larger electrical utilities in Britain and mainland Europe and comparisons between a vertically integrated<ref>ESB generates, transmits, distributes and sells its product.</ref> ESB and exclusive electricity distribution companies can be a superficial comparison where like is not strictly compared with like.
The demand in the hinterland of many British cities exceeds that of the entire ESB network and the ESB's relatively small scale operation should not be ignored in economic comparisons. The Commission for Energy Regulation has allowed electricity price increases consistently to the ESB and this is partly to encourage competition in the market. Accordingly the ESB now reports annually, considerable cash surpluses.
Competition in the generation of electricity is feasible, but the fuel cost of generation is the single largest production cost and rapidly rising electricity costs over the past 5 years are stated to be to allow profit to be made both for the dominant player and the new players in the market. The reality of competition has been that the dominant competitor to ESB is Viridian, the Northern Ireland electricity company. The lack of new entrants to the market and the ageing and imminent obsolescence of much of the current ESB power stations, threathen the reliability of electricity supply in the future.<ref>[http://www.finfacts.com/irelandbusinessnews/publish/article_10008483.shtml ESRI report warns of risk of electricity shortages]</ref> TheESRI have produced a report warning of the imminent consequences of past failure to invest in new generating plant.<ref>[http://www.esri.ie/UserFiles/publications/20061215114920/QEC2006Win_SA_Malaguzzi.pdf pdf format document]</ref> In December 2006, ESB was given permission to build a new station on the site of its' existing station in Aghada, conditional on it selling its' entire output to others on a wholesale basis, on the basis that subsequent retail resale would create competition. Similar offers to competitors to allow them to build private power stations on ESB owned sites have failed to attract any interest. The reality as declared<ref>[http://www.sbpost.ie/post/pages/p/story.aspx-qqqt=NEWS+FEATURES-qqqm=nav-qqqid=21140-qqqx=1.asp]</ref> by the Chairman of ESB in February 2007, is that the incentives on offer to potential new electricity providers are of no interest to Irish business. <blockquote>''If 2007 passes without buyers for Shannonbridge and Lanesboro in particular, and some expression of interest for Tarbert, the thing has to unravel,” said O’Donoghue.’ ‘The regulator needs punters, he needs players. I would say to competitors it’s time to stop talking and start making proposals.” The ESB is always keen to step into the breach and build new plants but this would defeat the government’s plans to boost competition.’ ‘Somebody has to move on it and we’re always ready and willing to build new plant but we need licences and consent''</blockquote>
==EIRGRID: Ireland's independent TSO==
{{mainarticle|EirGrid}}
On July 1, 2006, a new state owned company, EirGrid plc, which is separate from all parties in the Irish electricity sector, took over responsibility for the operation of the Irish national grid. It has its own separate board and it reports to the CER and its main shareholder, the Irish government. It was established as the operator of the Irish transmission system with ownership remaining with ESB. On March 12 2007, the Irish Government Policy on Energy stated that ownership of the transmission system would be vested in EirGrid from end 2008. EirGrid is responsible for balancing electricity consumption and generation and for the development of the power system. EirGrid operates the wholesale power market and is cooperating with its counterpart in Northern Ireland (SONI or System Operator Northern Ireland) on the establishment of an All Island wholesale electricity market. More information on the functions of EirGrid, along with graphs of electricity demand updated every 15 minutes, are available on its website, [http://www.eirgrid.com www.eirgrid.com].
==Divisions of ESB==
Businesses within ESB include:
''ESB Power Generation'', which is responsible for [[electricity generation]] and has 19 power stations and a [[wind power]] subsidiary;
''ESB Networks'', which maintains the national grid's transmission infrastructure, across high, medium and low voltages;
''ESB International'' (''ESBI''), which is a leading engineering consultancy firm and manages projects abroad in the electricity supply, generation and distribution markets;
''ESB Retail'' traditionally operated a chain of high street electrical shops under the ''ShopElectric'' brand. These have been sold to [[Bank of Scotland (Ireland)]] and have closed.
==Facilities==
Although Ireland has no [[nuclear power]] plants, an [[Act of the Oireachtas]] in 1971 created the [[Nuclear Energy Board]]. Later there was a proposal to build a nuclear power plant at [[Carnsore Point]], and preparatory work was carried out, but this never resulted in an operational plant, owing to widespread public opposition. ESB's generation capacity relies on [[Petroleum|oil]], [[coal]], [[natural gas|gas]] and [[peat]], supplemented by [[hydro-electric]] and [[wind]] generation. [[Moneypoint]] and [[Poolbeg]] are the two most significant [[fossil fuel]] power stations — their combined capacity accounts for over a third of total capacity. Much of the peat is supplied by [[Bord na Móna]] while [[Bord Gáis]] supplies gas via its network.
[[Image:Inniscarra dam.jpg|thumb|280px|Inniscarra hydro-electric dam, River Lee, Co. Cork]]
The Ardnacrusha hydro-electric scheme on the river Shannon was a major engineering feat in a nascent Irish state. There are additional hydro-electric schemes on the rivers [[River Clady|Clady]], [[River Erne|Erne]], [[River Lee (Ireland)|Lee]] and [[River Liffey|Liffey]]. The company also operates a few small wind farms throughout the country through its subsidiary. ''[http://www.hibernianwindpower.ie/ Hibernian Wind Energy]''. Hydro and wind farms are significant [[renewable energy]] sources
[[Turlough Hill]] pumped storage scheme although a hydro plant is not a [[renewable energy]] source, as it requires grid energy to pump water uphill for subsequent release downhill.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
!Generation<br>Capacity<ref>[http://www.esb.ie/main/about_esb/power_stations_intro.jsp Powering the Country - ESB Power Generation (retrieved 12 December 2006)]</ref>
!Plant
!width=120|Location
!Fuel
!Year First Commissioned
|-
|-
|1,020 [[Megawatt|MW]]||[[Poolbeg]]||[[County Dublin]]||[[Petroleum|Oil]] and [[Natural Gas|Gas]]|| 1971
|-
|915 MW||Moneypoint||[[County Clare]]||[[Coal]]|| 1985
|-
|620 MW||Tarbert||[[County Kerry]]||Oil|| 1969
|-
|525 MW||Aghada||[[County Cork]]||Gas|| 1981
|-
|292 MW||Turlough Hill||[[County Wicklow]]||[[Pumped-storage hydroelectricity|Pumped Storage]]|| 1968
|-
|266 MW||North Wall||County Dublin||Oil and Gas|| 1947
|-
|240 MW||Great Island||[[County Wexford]]||Oil|| 1967
|-
|150 MW||West Offaly Power||[[County Offaly]]||[[Peat]]||2005
|-
|115 MW||Marina||County Cork||Gas||1953
|-
|100 MW||Lough Ree Power||[[County Longford]]||Peat||2004
|-
|86 MW||Ardnacrusha||County Clare ||[[Hydroelectricity|Hydro]]||1927
|-
|65 MW||Erne / Kathleen Falls||[[County Donegal]]||Hydro||1945
|-
|38 MW||Liffey ||[[County Kildare]]||Hydro||1937
|-
|27 MW||Lee / Inniscarra Lake||[[County Cork]]||Hydro||1956
|-
|4 MW||Clady||[[County Donegal]]||Hydro||1953
|}
<br />
There is an increasing number of independent electricity generators feeding the grid. These generate power mainly using natural gas and wind energy. However, more renewable sites including biomass and tidal energy will come online in future years. Very small suppliers producing electricity from sources such as combined heat and power systems and very small wind turbines are also being facilitated to sell power into the national grid.
==Standards==
The ''Shannon Scheme'' was the start of the ESB's heavy reliance on [[Germany|German]] and Northern European electro-technology. [[Siemens AG|Siemens]], [[AEG]] and [[ASEA]] (Now [[ABB Group|ABB]]) equipment was used throughout the Irish generation and distribution system. The Irish system standardised on the 220 [[volt]] 50[[Hz]] (now 230 volt) single phase and 380[[volt]] (now 400 volt) 3 phase supply systems which had been developed by Siemens and AEG in Germany. Residential installations followed a mixture of British (BS) and German (DVE) & (DIN) standards.
Siemens standard [[diazed]] and the more modern [[neozed]] [[Fuse (electrical)|fuses]] remain the standard type of fuse used in domestic and industrial installations and modern circuit breakers comply with German DIN standards.
British core colours Live (Red), Black (Neutral) and Green (Earth/Ground) were used.
These were later updated to Live (Brown), Neutral (Blue) and Earth/Ground (Green & Yellow) as per CENELEC and European standards.
Three phase core colours also comply with EU standards: L1 (Brown), L2 (Black), L3 (Grey), N (Blue), Earth/Ground (Yellow & Green)
British wiring accessories have generally been used in residential and light commercial installations e.g. junction boxes, light switches, wires and cables etc. However, in recent years European standard wiring accessories are beginning to replace some of these.
In industrial installations, Irish standards have always tended to follow German (DIN) and (DVE) norms.
'''Earthing/Grounding System'''
* [[Earthing system#TN_network|TN-C-S]] is preferred. This is referred to in Ireland as a "Neutralised" supply. Most homes and businesses are connected to such a system. <br />Where this system is used, all metal pipe work must be bonded i.e. connected to the system's earth/ground creating an equipotential zone.
In such an installation earth straps and yellow & green earth wires can be seen connected to pipework under sinks, in heating systems etc.
* [[Earthing system#TT_network|TT]] system is used where TN-C-S earthing is not possible due to the design of the local distribution network, or the geology. This system is referred to as 'unnutralised' or 'not neutralised'.
Where a TT network connection is used, the entire supply must be protected by an [[RCD]]
Converting a TT supply to a TN-C supply "Neutralisation" may only be carried out by an ESB engineer with the approval of ESB Networks. Under no circumstances should a home owner, or an electrical contractor make any connection between the Earth/Ground and Neutral. To do so inappropriately could expose people to a risk of serious shock or electrocution.
'''Plugs and Socket Outlets'''
German [[Schuko]] socket outlets were once widely used alongside the British standard BS546 round pin plugs (both 3 pin and 2 pin verities). However, both of these systems were replaced by [[BS 1363]], standarised as Irish Standard IS 401 (Plug) and IS411 (Socket outlet). This standard eliminated incompatibilities between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland and was chosen as it was completely incompatible with both the old [[Schuko]] or [[BS 546]] installations and encouraged people to rewire their homes to comply with the new standard. It removed the possibility of connecting Class I (requiring an earth connection) appliances, to socket outlets that are either unearthed (ungrounded) or with incompatible earthing contacts - e.g. 2-pin side-earthed [[Schuko]] plug will not make earth contact with a 3 hole, 5 amp [[BS 546]] socket. This harmonisation occurred before the advent of pre-fitted 2-pin plugs on appliances destined for the European 220 volt market, which might have led to a different outcome. Until UK and Irish voltages were standardised at 230 volts in the 1990s, it was common for such plugs to be pre-fitted on appliances destined for the Irish market, although they were prohibited on appliances destined for the [[United Kingdom]] market. Both countries now require the pre-fitting of BS 1363 plugs on domestic appliances.
It is now extremely rare to find a non BS 1363 plug in use.
The 5 Amp version of BS 546 is sometimes used for lamps controlled by a central switch or dimmer. They may also be used for other specialist purposes. It is therefore, not advisable to connect an appliance to such a socket outlet and tourists should not use adaptors to connect to them if they are present in hotel bedrooms. They are exclusively for lighting are specialist purposes.
Industrial, heavy commercial and stage/studio installations use European standard IS EN 60309:1999 / [[IEC 60309]] plugs and sockets. BS 546 was once commonly used for stage and studio lighting, however it has been phased out of use.
The distribution board system used in Irish homes also differs substantially from those used in the UK and elsewhere. All distribution boards (fuse boxes) are required to have a 'main fuse' or 'main breaker' rated at the maximum permissible load for that installation. Typically, this is a 63 A fuse and a switch, or a [[Minized]] fuse isolator which accepts a [[Neozed]] fuse.
The distribution boards have been using [[DIN rail]] modular mounting systems for several decades. Even older fuse systems may be mounted on [[DIN rail]]s.
30 mA [[RCD]] protection is required for all socket outlets since 1981, however it may also be present on older installations.
'''Homes are typically wired as follows:'''<br />
*Lighting : 10 Amp Radials
*Socket outlets: 16 Amp or 20 Amp Radials <sub>(RCD Required)</sub> <small>(32 A Ring circuits are permitted, but are not generally used as frequently as in the UK and are quite rare)</small>
*Fixed appliances : 16 Amp or 20 Amp Radials <sub>(RCD may be required)</sub>
*Water heater : 20 Amp Radial <sub>(RCD Required)</sub>
*Cookers : 32-45 Amp Radial <sub>(RCD not required, but may be fitted optionally)</sub>
*Hob : 32-45 A Radial <sub>(RCD not required, but may be fitted optionally)</sub>
*Showers: 32 - 45 Amp Radial <sub>(RCD protected)</sub>
*Outdoor sockets : 16 or 20 A Radials<sub> (RCD required)</sub>
'''Lighting :'''<br />
[[Bayonet mount]] bulbs are used in most standard fittings and have been the dominant standard in most installations since the introduction of electric lighting in Ireland.
Various styles of bayonet cap and mounts are used for a variety of sizes and types of bulbs, including spots and halogens.
<br />
[[Edison Screw]] fittings are not as common, but may be found on some imported lighting equipment, particularly from Southern Europe.
Low voltage halogen bulbs use [bipin] fittings.
Standards are controlled by:
*[http://www.etci.ie/ The ElectroTechnical Council of Ireland (ETCI)]
and
*[http://www.nsai.ie/ The National Standards Authority of Ireland]
==Employees==
<br />
The ESB is one of the largest companies in Ireland and employs over 8,500 people, it is 5% owned by its workers - this ownership is known as ''ESB ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) Trustee Limited''. The company is heavily unionised with the Technical, Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) being one of the largest unions in the company. The last major strike was in 1991, though strike action has been threatened as recently as February 2005 and often at times of industrial dispute. National surveys show, in line with other similar semi-state sector workers, that wages are above the national average - one recent survey [http://www.rte.ie/business/2005/0207/mibusiness.html] showed that the average salary costs are twice the national average. It should however be remembered that workers of the company may be "on call" after hours, weekends and at holidays because of the unpredictability of emergencies.
==See also==
* [[Economy of the Republic of Ireland]]
* [[History of Ireland]]
* [[List of Irish companies]]
* [[Public ownership]]
* [[State-owned enterprise]]
* [[Viridian Group]] Northern Ireland Electricity Company
* [[rolling blackout]] The "Zone rota" system used during labour [[Strike action|strikes]]
==References==
<references/>
===Print===
*R. O'Connor, J.A. Crutchfield, B.J. Whelan. ''Socio-Economic Impact of the Construction of the Esb Power-Station at Moneypoint, Co. Clare'' (Economic and Social Research Institute, 1981) ISBN 0-7070-0041-6
*Tim Hastings. ''Semi-States in Crisis: The Challenge for Industrial Relations in the ESB and Other Major Semi-State Companies'' (Oak Tree Press, 1994) ISBN 1-872853-79-X
===Online===
* [http://www.esb.ie Official website - Electricity Supply Board]
* [http://www.esbi.ie/ ESB International]
* [http://www.esbie.ie/ ESB Independent Energy]
* [http://www.eirgrid.com Eirgrid]
* [http://sunset.ennis.ie/article.php3?id_article=192 History of Ardnacrusha]
{{Electricity generation in Ireland}}
[[Category:Power companies of the Republic of Ireland]]
[[Category:State-sponsored bodies of the Republic of Ireland]]