Energia Marks Energetic Decade

A Belfast-based company has been celebrating a decade of successful energy production.

Claiming savings for business users of €170m on the island over the past 10 yeasr as an the independent energy supplier, Energia, insisted that its €550m investment in the country's electricity generation and supply business has placed it at the top of the industry league.

The company currently supplies more than 50,000 business customers, representing over 25% of the business electricity market, and over 20% of the business gas market.

Established in 1999 as the start-up competitive retail business arm of Belfast-based Viridian Group, Energia became the first independent supplier in Northern Ireland. Within a year it had entered the Irish business electricity market.

By 2003 Energia had established itself as Ireland's leading independent energy business supplying over 30% of large industrial electricity requirements.

Since entering the energy market south of the border, Energia's parent company Viridian Group has invested a total of over €550 million in new energy generation infrastructure in Ireland, building two major independent gas-fired power plants in north Dublin, investing in major renewable energy facilities throughout the Island and becoming the biggest privately owned player in the Irish gas market.

The group currently employs over 190 staff and generates annual revenues of over €1.2 billion.

Chief Operating Officer Tom Gillen (pictured), said energy costs represent one of the most volatile costs consumers have to contend with.

"Energy pricing and security of supply is a key element of national competitiveness. Energia has championed the development of a competitive energy market.

"We have been first to market with many of the new energy products needed to help the market flourish and we have consistently brought lower energy prices to Irish businesses," he said, noting that Energia has continued to expand into new markets and to introduce innovative energy products for business.

"In 2008 we entered the retail gas market and in May 2009 we became the first independent supplier to enter the unmetered public lighting supply sector," he continued.

Energia is also one of the most significant contributors to the achievement of Ireland's renewable energy targets.

"We have consistently been one of the largest investors in the renewable sector. Following initial wind farm involvement in 2003 in the north-east, Energia committed to contracts of over €650 million in 2006 to support the development of over 165 MW of wind farms throughout Ireland.

"Energia now has over 220MW of operational windfarms, and has plans for a further 400MW over the next three years.

"Based on these continuing achievements we are proud to make the claim that Energia is the island of Ireland's leading competitive energy provider," Mr Gillen concluded.

(BMcc/GK)