Spanish operator Endesa, which bought the Great Island and Tarbert power plants from the ESB in 2008, plans to import electricity from Britain to sell on the Irish market.

The company said yesterday that it bought 20 megawatts of capacity at auction on the Moyle interconnector, which connects the Antrim and Scottish coasts, and intends to import power to be sold on the Irish market.

Endesa recently applied, under the critical infrastructure planning legislation, to An Bord Pleanála for permission to redevelop the two power plants that it bought from the ESB.