§ Lord Kilclooneyasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many firms have tendered for the construction of the natural gas pipeline to the North West of Northern Ireland; how many of these firms are based outside Northern Ireland; and what is the present timetable for the provision of the gas pipeline. [HL3510]
§ Lord Williams of MostynIn 1999, following an invitation from the then Director General of Gas for Northern Ireland seeking applications for licences to take natural gas outside the Greater Belfast area, two consortia submitted expressions of interest to develop a Northern Ireland Gas Pipeline Project including a gas pipeline to the North West, (both these consortia are based outside Northern Ireland). Following explanatory discussions one formal licence application was made and on 12 February 2002 a gas conveyance licence was granted to London-based Bord Gais Eireann (UK).
The North West Gas Pipeline Project is currently at Planning Permission stage and it is anticipated that construction will commence early in 2004 with completion in October 2004.