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October/November 2013 www.esb.ie/em
Innovation
ESB International hosts Vietnam delegation
Page 10
ESB is innovating for growth
» Innovation is all about taking new ideas and turning them into valuable business propositions. Innovation is in our DNA, from the pioneering development of Ardnacrusha to our current innovations in delivering electric vehicles infrastructure, fibre broadband and ocean energy generation.
FOR ALL utilities, including ESB, the need for innovation has never been more important than now. The traditional business lines of utilities including central large scale generation, transmission, distribution and supply remain key areas but new growth opportunities are expected to come from new sources into the future.
New growth will be driven by the need to decarbonise generation, through adopting latest energy technologies such as wind, wave, tidal, storage and solar power technologies. We want to help our customers play a much more active role in the energy market through embracing energy efficiency and managing electricity use in the home more dynamically.
In order to provide a critical focus on developing these new growth areas, ESB has set up a dedicated Innovation Business Unit headed up by John McSweeney. Promoting innovation across the company is a key objective for John.
John tells EM: “I want to take Innovation in ESB to another level. I want to provide the opportunity for our staff to work together across business lines and get more involved in innovation, to foster mutually beneficial relationships with Irish and multinationals and ensure emerging energy technologies are at the heart of our growth plans”.
John recently launched the Innovation Forum, a small group of Innovation leaders from across the business who will work on a number of initiatives to ensure Innovation is at the heart of delivering growth opportunities for ESB in the coming years. Initiatives that involve as many people as possible from across the company will be key. Speaking at the launch, John said: “I am setting a big challenge for this group to build on our tradition of Innovation and take Innovation in ESB to a new level. It is a very exciting prospect for our staff and will greatly enhance the value we provide to our customers and shareholder alike”.
Mobilisation of Yeni Elektrik 830MW Power Station in Turkey
ESB INTERNATIONAL
IN MARCH 2013, ESB International signed a €30 million contract with investment company UNIT to operate and maintain the Yeni Elektrik Power Station, located south-west of Istanbul. ESB International and UNIT formed a 50/50 joint venture company known as UNES to manage the contract for the 830MW CCGT plant, which will generate electricity as a merchant plant into the Turkish market. The plant is capable of generating up to 3% of electricity consumption in Turkey. The announcement marked ESB International’s first venture into Turkey’s growing economy and is a key milestone in the development of ESB International in this market.
In July 2013, Ollie Brogan, Managing Director, ESB International met with the Chairman of Unit Group, Unal Aysal, in Istanbul to discuss the contract and witness first hand the progress of the project to date. Ollie visited the Yeni Elektrick site where he met with the site management and site of the Plant Owner Yeni Elektrik and UNES. UNES management gave Ollie a tour of the plant which is currently under commissioning to meet an advance commercial operating date in December this year.
In meeting with the staff, Ollie spoke about the importance of safety for themselves and others, while stating that it should continue to be an important value for the station as it moves towards the operational phase. Hakan Karaalioglu, Country Manager, Turkey and CIS, ESB International is also a member of the UNES Board with Vincent Flynn, Manager, International Operations, ESB International.
Ecars Great Electric Drive – key findings
Gate 3 wind farm projects
Page 22
Ecars to exhibit at EU research transport event in Estonia
ECARS WILL BE exhibiting at the upcoming EU Trans-European Transport Network Programme (TEN-T) event in Tallinn, Estonia from October 16th to 18th. TEN-T was established by the EU Commission to create a more efficient and environmentally friendly transport system that has funded projects across all areas of transport within the EU.
TEN-T awarded €2.1 million to ESB and the Department for Regional Development Northern Ireland for a major cross-border project to further develop the network of electric vehicle (EV) fast charging infrastructure in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Fast chargers provide an 80% charge in approximately 20 minutes, facilitating longer distance travel in electric vehicles. This project is at the half-way mark with fast charge points already installed along the main motorways, as well as major transport hubs.
The event in Estonia will showcase the many transport projects being funded through the TEN-T programme. At the event, ecars will have an exhibition stand displaying a map of the Electric Vehicle charging infrastructure and information about the TEN-T programme in Ireland. A Nissan LEAF and a fast charge point will also be displayed. The event will be attended by Vice- President of the European Union and commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas.
