ESB International opens UK offices

ESB INTERNATIONAL

ESB International (ESBI) has opened offices in the UK to support its major business expansion strategy in the British energy market.

The offices in London will be the nerve centre of ESBI's drive to consolidate investment opportunities in the UK in the areas of large-scale combinedcycle gas turbine (CCGT) electricity generating plants and of renewable energy generation. The company is building on a £400 million Marchwood power project located Southampton.

Construction of this project is on target to be commissioned in 2009 to meet the electricity needs of up to a million homes in Britain. Marchwood Power will be jointly operated by ESBI and its partner Scottish and Southern Energy.

As joint owner of Corby Power in Northampton, ESBI has had a presence in the UK market since 1990.

ESB Chief Executive Padraig McManus said, "ESB's growth strategy, which is critical to the future of the company, is now firmly focused on the UK market of 60 million people where the potential is enormous."