Northern Ireland Electricity (Powerteam)

Northern Ireland Electricity Networks Limited (NIE Networks) is the owner of the electricity transmission and distribution networks in Northern Ireland and operates the distribution network. Established in 1993 following the privatisation of Northern Ireland Electricity, it has since 2010 been a private subsidiary of ESB Group. The company does not generate or retail electricity; instead it plans, develops, constructs, maintains and operates the high‑voltage and low‑voltage networks that transport electricity to homes, farms and businesses. Its network comprises around 2,300 kilometres of transmission lines and 58,800 kilometres of distribution lines and cables, together with about 340 major substations and tens of thousands of pole‑mounted transformers. NIE Networks supplies power to approximately 910,000–966,000 customers, employs over 1,300 staff, and invests around £100 million per year in its network. It manages three transmission interconnectors with the Republic of Ireland and operates under independent regulation by the Utility Regulator for Northern Ireland. Within this group, Powerteam has been the specialist electrical infrastructure engineering arm. NIE Powerteam Limited (now NIE Networks Services Limited) historically provided construction, installation, refurbishment and maintenance services on NIE’s transmission and distribution assets, with these activities recovered from NIE Networks via a managed service charge. Powerteam Electrical Services (UK) Limited originated from NIE’s engineering department but was sold alongside NIE Powerteam to ESB in 2010 and subsequently acquired by VINCI Energies. Trading as Omexom, this Belfast‑based business specialises in work on overhead power lines and electrical substations and provides similar services to third‑party utility and industrial customers, including companies such as SSE, Northern Powergrid, Electricity North West, ESB and various wind farm developers. NIE Networks has progressively separated its network ownership role from supply and system operation functions, including the 2009 sale of the transmission system operator SONI and the transfer of its former supply business, now branded Power NI, to a separate Viridian subsidiary. It has developed procedures for managing major incidents such as storms and positions its network development around facilitating carbon reduction targets, renewable generation connections, electric vehicles and heat pumps at least cost to customers.