Irish power firm opens its largest UK station

Irish based Electricity Supply Board (ESB) along with Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE) have opened the 840 mega watt gas-fired plant at Marchwood.

ESB feel the move will mean it will be ‘well-positioned’ should, as it expects, a single UK and Irish energy market be created.

The station, which ESB claims is the most efficient combined cycle gas turbine plant built in the UK, has the capability to provide enough electricity for 1m homes.

Officially titled the Marchwood Power officially opened last week (28 January), and is the largest plant to enter commercial operation in Britain in the last five years.

The building was constructed over a three years by Siemens and employs 45 full-time staff.

ESB chief executive, Padraig McManus said: “The opening of Marchwood Power is a significant milestone in the expansion of ESB’s presence in the UK energy market.

“In addition, our wind generation interests and other gas-fired development projects place ESB on course to achieve its target of providing over 3GW of generation capacity in the UK within the next ten years.

“With the anticipated emergence of a single UK-Irish energy market over the next decade, our UK generation interests along with our established presence in Ireland will ensure that ESB is well-positioned to respond to the market challenges and opportunities that are likely to arise.”

Luke Walsh