A leading British energy supplier today announced plans to enter the Irish energy market and says it intends to become a major competitor here.
Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) said today it had submitted applications for an electricity supply licence and a gas supply & shipping licence to enable it to enter the market here.
The company intends to enter the electricity and gas markets simultaneously. It plans to enter the commercial and industrial energy market first and then broaden its service to domestic clients over time.
The wholly-owned subsidiary company SSE Ireland is registered in this country and will be based here pending reciept of the necessary licenses.
According to a company spokesman, SSE is the UK's largest non-nuclear generator. The company expects its Irish subsidiary to enter the Irish energy market by November and intends to move forward within a 12- to18-month period to become a substantial figure in the country's energy market.
The value of the company's investment is unclear at present, as are the number of potential jobs created should the company be granted its license.
Initially the company intends to source power from current operators within the market, however in the longer term it will eamine the cost effectiveness of sourcing energy via interconnectors from UK power sources.
Alistair Phillips-Davies, energy supply director, said today: "We will initially aim to sell a range of electricity and gas products which may then be followed by renewable products, metering, telecoms and energy services."