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How to apply for a business park connection?
For electricity connections, a 'Business park' refers to a large greenfield development with multiple customer connections which requires the building of a new 110kV or 38kV substation.
There are two stages in the application process - Design and Construction. You will find all the information you need in the following sections.
Design stage
Provide initial information
The first step is for the developer to Contact us and outline the proposed development and its electricity needs.
Receive letter of agreement and quote
Having reviewed the requirements of the development and ascertained that a new 110kV or 38kV substation is needed to cater for the proposed load, we will issue a letter of agreement and quote based on the work required to provide a full detailed design to the developer.
Accept the terms of offer
The developer may then accept the terms contained in the letter of agreement in respect of design work by:
- Getting a 'Design bond' executed by an appropriate financial institution and returning the executed bond to ESB Networks.
- Signing and returning the attached 'acceptance of offer form' for the design work.
- These documents must be received by ESB Networks within three months of the letter being issued.
Issue letter of agreement with respect to the construction work
Once the design is finalised and the HV substation site has been transferred to ESB Networks, we will issue a letter of agreement with respect to the works that will need to be done to connect the load.
Accept the terms of the letter of agreement with respect to the construction work
The developer may then accept terms in the letter of agreement in respect of construction work as follows:
- By payment of any capital contribution charge associated with the following:
- In cases where the least-cost technically acceptable solution is not acceptable, the developer will be required to pay for any additional costs.
- If a request is made to site the substation in a non-optimal location the additional costs associated with locating the substation in the requested location will be charged for.
- By having the 'capacity bond' executed by an appropriate financial institution and returning the executed bond to ESB Networks.
- Signing and returning the acceptance of the offer form in respect of construction works.
Construction stage
Receipt of the capacity bond by ESB Networks
The construction phase begins when we receive the executed capacity bond and also get confirmation from our solicitors that the transfer of the substation site title has been completed.
Release of the design bond
Once the construction phase begins, ESB Networks notifies the financial institution to release the design bond provided for in the design phase by issuing a design certificate. The design certificate certificates that the design phase has been completed and the construction phase has commenced and authorises the release of the design bond.
Release of the capacity bond
ESB Networks authorises the issuing financial institution to release the capacity bond when:
- The pre-existing spare capacity on the medium voltage (MV) network within the business park (as stated in the letter of agreement and the capacity bond), or 30% of the minimum capacity of the relevant HV station, whichever is the greater, has been contracted by signed connection agreements and the new customers have been connected for not less than six months.
- A capacity certificate is issued to the financial institution authorising the release of the bond.