FAQ's
Northern Ireland Energy Holdings Annual General Meeting
NI Energy Holdings Annual Report - PDF now available online Frequently Asked Questions
This is the Northern Ireland Energy Holdings Frequently Asked Question list (FAQ). It answers some of the most frequently asked questions relating to NIEH.
What is the SNIP?
The Scotland to Northern Ireland natural gas transmission Pipeline.
This 24-inch diameter pipeline is 135 kilometres long and runs from Twynholm in Scotland to Ballylumford in Northern Ireland.
It transports gas to Ballylumford Power Station which generates over half of Northern Ireland's electricity needs and feeds the Phoenix Natural Gas natural gas distribution system in Belfast and the Greater Belfast area.
Premier Transmission Limited (PTL) is the owner and operator of the Scotland to Northern Ireland natural gas transmission pipeline.
The Northern Ireland Natural Gas Transmission System
The NI high-pressure gas transmission system comprises the Scotland to Northern Ireland Pipeline (SNIP), the Premier Transmission Pipeline (PTP) and the North-West Pipeline (NWP).
The SNIP pipeline is owned and operated by PTL. The PTP pipeline is owned by Phoenix Natural Gas Ltd (PNGL). No control mechanism (other than a valve) exists at the interface between the SNIP and BTP pipelines, and therefore PTL currently operate the BTP on behalf of PNGL. The NWP is owned and operated by BGE(NI).
The SNIP pipeline transports high pressure natural gas from an off-take on the BGE(UK) pipeline near Twynholm in the South West of Scotland, under the Irish sea to a pressure reduction station (PRS) at Ballylumford Power Station in Northern Ireland and into the BTP. The BTP transports high pressure gas to three pressure reduction stations at Larne, Tory Town and Knocknagoney, where gas is introduced into the Greater Belfast gas distribution system, and to an offtake for the NWP located at Middle Division. The NWP transports high pressure gas from a volumetrically controlled offtake from the BTP at Carrickfergus. The NWP transports high pressure gas to Coolkeeragh Power Station in Londonderry and will soon also supply distribution markets from offtakes along the pipeline length.
The SNIP pipeline is the single source of supply for all natural gas to Northern Ireland. It fuels two power stations (supplying 70% of the NI electrical demand) and all domestic, commercial and industrial gas consumers in NI. Continuous operation of the SNIP pipeline is therefore of critical strategic importance to the country.
Developments are ongoing by BGE(NI) to construct an interconnector pipeline linking the NWP (and hence the NI Transmission network) to the transmission network in the RoI – the South-North Pipeline(SNP). This is planned for completion late 2006.
A map of the overall NI transmission system is shown below.
PTL: Our Customers
What is the Moyle Interconnector?
The Moyle Interconnector links the electricity transmission systems of Northern Ireland and Great Britain. It provides 500MW of transmission capacity and is owned and operated by Moyle Interconnector Limited.
The Moyle Interconnector project involved the construction of converter stations near the Northern Irish and Scottish coastlines at Ballycronan More, in Islandmagee, County Antrim and Auchencrosh in Ayrshire, together with two 55 kilometre undersea cables across the North Channel (the Sea of Moyle) and 64 kilometres of overhead line in Scotland.
The Moyle Interconnector was bought by Moyle Holdings Limited from Viridian Group PLC in April 2003.
Last Updated: 23rd June 2006