Consultants have begun the search for a new chief executive of the electricity grid company, EirGrid.

PE Executive Search and Selection will submit a shortlist of potential candidates to the EirGrid board in the next few weeks, Government sources indicated yesterday, although an appointment may not be made for some months.

The search was prompted by Mr Kieran O'Brien's decision to step down as chief executive of ESB National Grid back in August.

Mr O'Brien's resignation followed protracted and ultimately unsuccessful negotiations over a contract he was offered to become chief executive of EirGrid, the new body which will take over transmission of the national grid from ESB National Grid.

Several leading ESB figures are expected to feature in the race to succeed Mr O'Brien, although some international electricity industry figures might also be interested.

In a statement in August Mr O'Brien said his years as managing director of ESB National Grid had been the highlight of his career.

"A key factor in my decision was my personal awareness of the frustrating delays in establishing EirGrid as the transmission system operator and my wish to do everything possible to facilitate that objective," he said.

He said he believed his decision was a timely and responsible one. "The establishment of EirGrid as the transmission system operators is absolutely vital and I have always wished to assist this."

Mr O'Brien said he was very grateful to the EirGrid board "for their major effort to resolve all issues."

The relationship between the ESB and ESB National Grid has been somewhat controversial, partly due to the delay in setting EirGrid up as a separate entity.

The ESB chairman Mr Tadhg O'Donoghue has previously spoken about ESB National Grid's lack of accountability.