Welcome

The All-Island Project is a joint initiative run by the CER and the NIAUR.

The aim of the project is to create a single market for natural gas and electricity on the island of Ireland. The project was started following a joint policy decision by the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Investment in Northern Ireland and the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources to create the all-island energy market. By creating a single market, both jurisdictions will benefit from increased competition, reduced energy costs and improved reliability of supply.

In November 2004, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) and the Department of Communications Marine and Natural Resources (DCMNR) together with the NIAUR and the CER published a Development Framework for an All Island Energy Market, setting out the dates by which they expect to achieve these unified markets.

CER and NIAUR have begun the first phase of the project as set out in the Framework Document - the establishment of an all-island wholesale electricity market, known as the Single Electricity Market (SEM). The SEM will be a gross pool market, into which all electricity generated on or imported onto the island of Ireland must be sold, and from which all wholesale electricity for consumption on or export from the island of Ireland must be purchased. The SEM high-level design was completed in June 2005. This design is the basis of the SEM Trading and Settlement Code; version 1.0 of this code was published in February 2006.

The Regulatory Authorities and the Systems Operators of Ireland (EirGrid) and Northern Ireland (SONI) are working together to implement the SEM. The market will Go Live on 1st November 2007.