March 2007

Croke Park is electric – thanks to ESBIE!

As the symbiotic relationship between independent energy provider ESBIE and the GAA moves into its second year, Hogan Stand caught up with ESBIE managing director Liam Molloy to discuss ongoing developments in the Association’s spectacular Croke Park HQ and the daily role his company plays in sustaining the GAA crown jewel.

It was announced twelve months ago that Croke Park – one of the biggest stadiums in Europe - would be powered by ESB Independent Energy (ESBIE). The nation’s indigenous sporting organisation and the independent energy provider of choice signed a major two-year contract to signal the beginning of a successful union between two parallel organisations.
The partnership has now entered its second year and ESBIE managing director Liam Molloy says significant change has been evidenced during the first year of the agreement: “We have seen phenomenal changes in Croke Park inside the past twelve months. With the floodlights now up and running, this is obviously a huge consideration from an energy management point of view. The under-pitch heating and second screen also add to the energy requirements of the stadium.
“Obviously, increased usage of the facilities means more energy consumption but the GAA is right up there with the best in Europe in terms of energy efficiency – and we intend to keep them there..”
Liam points out that the stadium’s hospitality product is extremely popular and continues to go from strength to strength. Indeed, he experienced this first hand himself when ESBIE held its Strategy Day at Croke Park on November 17 last.
A proud Kilkenny GAA man, Liam is delighted to see the Cats in such a rich vein of form at present and revels in their various successes at all levels. He was particularly thrilled to see his own club – St Lachtains of Freshford – capture their third successive All-Ireland camogie club title last year and sends his best wishes to Cha, Henry and the boys as Ballyhale Shamrocks bid to bring yet another national title Noreside when they take part in the 2007 All-Ireland senior club hurling championship final at HQ on St Patrick’s Day.
“Kilkenny are on a roll and things are really buzzing in the county. As a Kilkenny man, I’m particularly proud to be associated with Croke Park during such a successful period for the county.” Indeed, the MD of ESBIE hails from a strong hurling background and two of his brothers wore the famous Black & Amber of the Cats at minor level.
As the premier independent electricity supplier to businesses in Ireland, ESBIE currently supplies all Croke Park’s electricity needs, as well as providing a strong customer service facility that enables the Association to make substantial savings on its daily power bill.
With the scale of power requirements increasing in both volume and timing, ESBIE is on hand to offer tailored solutions to meet their specific needs. Croke Park’s energy needs have grown in tandem with dramatic increases in the sophistication of stadium facilities.
The power requirements of a stadium as large as Croker are vast - equal to that of an average Irish town (approximately five megawatts). This covers everything from special pitch maintenance lighting to the 140-metre stadium screen, warm-up and changing facilities, hospitality arena and all other power requirements. Since the accord between these two veritable market leaders was agreed, many new factors (such as the aforementioned floodlights, under-pitch heating, second screen, rugby/soccer internationals in Croke Park etc.) have been eased seamlessly into the equation.
Apart from being one of the largest stadiums in Europe, Croke Park is now one of the most sought-after conference venues in Ireland. The conference facilities are in constant use, so the power requirements are also constant. There is a continuous demand, which peaks at weekends but continues throughout the week. However, Liam notes: “In terms of consumption valley periods, the loads are now being more evenly spread.”
Once an organisation has energy demands of this scale, it has to be managed as efficiently as possible. As an independent energy supplier, ESBIE operates in the industrial and large commercial customer niche market, offering clients a quality service as well as substantial savings on their energy bill.
Established in 2000, ESBIE is one of the leading independent suppliers in Ireland’s deregulated electricity market. Wholly owned by the ESB Group but licensed and regulated independently, the company has successfully entered new markets in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and the UK, expanding its range of services to include renewable energy and value-adding services.
Since liberalisation of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland electricity markets, ESBIE has been one of the leading providers of energy to industrial and commercial users. ESBIE customers enjoy competitive prices and a high level of customer service for all their energy needs.
An all-island operation (just like the GAA), ESBIE has access to two power stations, one in Dublin and one in Derry, supplying energy to customers across the island.
ESBIE concentrates heavily on customer relations. To this end, they employ a highly-trained staff of 75, including a number of customer relations managers, each with a wealth of experience of the electricity business and superb interpersonal skills. One of their most experienced, Ger Hensey, oversees the smooth and efficient running of the Croke Park contract.
“Ger is our dedicated customer relations manager who deals directly with the GAA, advising them on energy efficiency, how best to take advantage of off-peak power and other practical measures to keep their bill down to a minimum,” Liam points out.
ESBIE’s strong client relationships are based on offering customers a tailored energy solution to meet their individual needs with a premium level of service that differentiates them from other suppliers. The company does much more than simply supplying electricity; it also works hand in hand with its clients as a genuine partner, always mindful of customers’ needs and prepared to offer expert advice on all aspects of energy management and efficiency.
Liam Molloy concludes: “The Croke Park brand is getting stronger all the time and awareness has increased further due to the staging of internationals. Their business is growing and so is ours.
“We are fully focused on large industrial and commercial users, with specialised energy allocation needs, where we can provide a tailored one-to-one service. This is how we have added companies like Intel, Vodafone, Dunnes Stores, Tesco and Dublin Port Tunnel to our ever-growing customer base [which also includes Tesco, BT, Lynch Hotels, Translink, C&C and Odlums etc.] inside the past twelve months.
“Croke Park have doubled the size of their connection capacity but have significantly increased their efficiency. This means they are getting better value for money and ESBIE is committed to ensuring that this remains the case.”

For further information please contact:

John Conlon
ESB Independent Energy
Tel: 01 8867343
Mobile: 0871246779