Bord Gáis Facts &
Figure
Networks
Energy
Market Opening
Bord Gáis
Management
Governance
Structure
Employees
2007 Annual
Report Highlights Financial Overview
Natural Gas
Areas
Bord Gáis Facts & Figures
Bord Gáis Éireann (Bord Gáis) was established in 1976 and is a
commercial State body operating in the energy industry. With over 630,000 gas
and electricity customers and a turnover in 2008 of €1,379 million, Bord Gáis
employs approximately 900 staff and is headquartered in Cork, Ireland.
For many, Bord Gáis would be synonymous with natural gas. However, the structure of the energy industry has changed significantly since the introduction of market liberalisation and Bord Gáis now has a variety of roles within the gas industry in Ireland. In addition, Bord Gáis has expanded beyond its original base into the electricity supply market. Bord Gáis has two main businesses – Networks and Energy.
Networks
Bord Gáis holds the transmission and distribution system owner
licences in respect of the natural gas network. Bord
Gáis Networks carries out work and provides services in respect of
the natural gas network on behalf of Gaslink, the independent system operator.
Through the New
Connections Programme, Bord Gáis Networks continually brings the benefits
of natural gas to new areas in line with CER
Policy and constructs and extends the natural gas network to the highest
international safety standards.
This 12,800km network includes :
- Transmission (cross-country) and Distribution (towns) networks in Ireland
- Two sub-sea interconnectors linking Ireland with Scotland. Interconnector 1 and Interconnector 2
- An on-shore system in Scotland
- A spur-line to the Isle of Man
- The North-West pipeline from Belfast to Derry in Northern Ireland.
- The Mayo-Galway pipeline, to bring gas from the Corrib field into the national grid
- The South-North pipeline from Gormanston, Co. Meath, to Belfast to secure long-term gas supplies for Northern Ireland
Management of the gas pipeline network is a sophisticated 24-hour operation involving constant monitoring through Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems, including Geographic Information System (GIS). In addition, the Mains Renewal Programme will ensure that the Irish natural gas network is one of the most modern pipeline systems in Europe.
Bord Gáis is licenced by OFREG to supply natural gas to 10 towns in Northern
Ireland. firmus energy,
Bord Gáis’ distribution and supply business in Northern Ireland, is in the
process of extending the network and connecting customers in the selected
towns.
Energy
Bord Gáis
Energy is a dual-fuel, all-island business that serves over 630,000 gas
and electricity customers with exemplary service at a competitive price,
procuring energy efficiently on wholesale markets and investing in energy
assets to support its growth objectives in the energy markets in Ireland.Bord
Gáis Energy is the retail arm of Bord Gáis, selling gas and electricity to all
market segments, with related activities including call centre management,
billing and sales and marketing. It also provides appliance
servicing products to customers. It serves over 600,000 gas customers and
30,000 business and agricultural electricity customers. Bord Gáis Energy
entered the residential electricity market in Ireland in February 2009.
Bord Gáis Trading is responsible for the procurement of gas and
electricity, risk management and hedging strategies. Gas and electricity are
bought on wholesale markets by a dedicated Energy Trading team operating 19
hours a day. Bord Gáis Trading operates in line with best international
practice, is benchmarked against the market against a regulatory formula and
has been proven to procure energy efficiently.
Bord Gáis Investments is responsible for pursuing and developing growth
opportunities in assets in the energy markets in Ireland, underpinning the
strategy to become a leading dual-fuel energy company. The unit is currently
constructing a 445MW gas-fired power plant, developing 400MW of peaking plants
and has invested in a number of wind farms. It is also investing in studies to
establish the viability of developing a salt cavern gas storage facility in
Northern Ireland.
firmus energy, a subsidiary of Bord Gáis, distributes and sells gas in
its franchise area of ten towns in Northern Ireland and also sells gas in the
competitive Greater Belfast gas market. During 2009, it will enter the
electricity supply market in Northern Ireland, initially selling competitive
products to business customers.
Gas Market Opening
Since July 2007, domestic and non-domestic gas users have been
eligible to buy gas from any participating licensed gas supplier operating in
the Irish market. Similarly, any user consuming gas for the purpose of
electricity generation is eligible, regardless of consumption, to purchase gas
from any supplier on the participating licensed supplier listing. Further
information on Market
Opening is available from our Networks area. If a natural gas user is
unsure whether he is eligible or not, he may apply to the Bord Gáis Gas
Point Registration Operator (GPRO) for a determination. The GPRO has
access to consumption figures and will be able to determine eligibility.
Bord Gáis Networks, along with the CER and Shippers, is a key participant in GMARG (Gas Market Arrangements Retail Group). GMARG is responsibile for agreeing the market processes required to support the retail market.
Bord Gáis Management
The Board of Bord Gáis currently consists of nine members, the
Chief Executive and eight non-executive Board Members (including the Chairman)
who are appointed by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural
Resources.
The Management Team, headed up by the Chief Executive, is responsible
for the day to day management of the company.
Click here for a full list of
Board Members and Management Team
Governance Structure
As a statutory body, Bord Gáis does not have a memorandum or
articles of association. Instead, its objects, powers and duties or
‘functions’ and the provisions regulating its exercise of these functions are
set out in the Gas Acts 1976 to 2002 and associated legislation. Please refer
to our Corporate
Governance section for further information.
Employees
Bord Gáis employs approximately 900 staff and is headquartered at
Gasworks Road, Cork.
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2008 Annual Report
Highlights
Financial Overview
| 2008 | 2007 | Change | |
| Turnover | €1,379m | €1,215m | +14% |
| Gas Sales | €881m | €763m | +15% |
| Electricity Sales | €282m | €239 | +18% |
|
Profit Before Tax *
|
€151m
|
€166m
|
-10% |
| CAPEX | €318m | €204m | +56% |
|
Net Debt |
€1,217m |
€1,151m |
+6% |
* YOY decrease of €15 million is a result of additional expenditure associated with continuing expansion into new business areas, cost of sales, increased regulatory/safety requirements and a share based payment associated with the introduction of an Employee Share Ownership Plan in 2008.
Business Achievement Hightlights:
- Refreshed Corporate Strategy rolled out company-wide which paved the way for Bord Gáis’ successful entry into the Irish domestic electricity market in February 2009;
- Acquired company’s first wind farm development in Co. Galway;
- Significant progress on the construction of the company’s 445MW gas-fired power plant at Whitegate;
- Continued to renew and expand the gas networks;
- Connected five new towns to natural gas;
- Number of gas users increased by 4% to 630,000;
- Expansion of business in Northern Ireland and entered the competitive Greater Belfast market;
- Sought an increase in its statutory borrowing limit to €3 billion to allow for future investments – this was granted in February 2009;
-
Increased presence in the business electricity market and successfully
launched into the domestic electricity market in February 2009.
Click
here to view a copy of the 2008 Annual Report
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Natural Gas Areas
Click here to
view the natural gas network and current natural gas supply areas.
