ESB

What ESB does

ESB (Electricity Supply Board) is Ireland's state-owned statutory electricity utility, founded in 1927 under the Electricity (Supply) Act and 97.1% owned by the Government of Ireland (2.9% held by an Employee Share Ownership Plan). The company operates across the full electricity value chain through its core subsidiaries: ESB Networks DAC serves as the licensed Distribution System Operator for the Republic of Ireland, delivering electricity to over 2.5 million customer connections; Electric Ireland is the retail supply division serving more than 1.3 million households and businesses on the island of Ireland; ESB ecars operates the largest public EV charging network on the island with 1,600+ charge points supporting 1,400 simultaneous EVs; ESB Telecoms provides wholesale fiber and tower infrastructure with 381 telecom towers and 1,500+ km of fiber network; and ESB International offers engineering consultancy to international utilities and governments.

ESB's underlying technology stack spans high-voltage transmission, medium and low-voltage distribution networks, smart metering infrastructure being rolled out to all 2.5+ million customers, EV charging networks at slow, fast, and very fast DC tiers, hydrogen power generation trials with GeoPura, grid-scale battery storage, and the Moneypoint site being converted from coal to the multi-billion euro Green Atlantic renewable energy hub. The company operates generation assets in onshore wind, offshore wind (Tonn Nua with Ørsted, Inch Cape with Red Rock Renewables, Glenora with SSE Renewables), solar, hydro, hydrogen, and battery storage, aligned to a Net Zero by 2040 commitment that runs a decade ahead of Ireland's national 2050 target.

ESB's business model combines regulated network revenue (returns approved by the CRU on €14.1 billion of 2026-2030 PR6 investment), competitive retail electricity and gas supply through Electric Ireland, wholesale renewable generation revenue, ESB International professional services, ESB Energy UK retail supply, EV charging usage-based revenue, and ESB Telecoms infrastructure sharing. Distribution is hybrid: regulated monopoly (DSO), competitive retail, direct-to-consumer EV charging apps, and enterprise field sales for international consulting. Reported revenue is approximately €1.8 billion against a headcount of around 9,700 employees spanning Dublin headquarters, UK operations, and field operations across Ireland.

Name

ESB

Legal name

Electricity Supply Board

Website

https://esb.ie

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

ESB is Ireland's 97.1% government-owned statutory electricity utility, operating generation, transmission, distribution to 2.5M+ customers, and retail supply to 1.3M customers, plus EV charging, telecoms infrastructure, and energy consultancy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Regulated Network Revenue: ESB Networks operates as the licensed distribution system operator in Ireland, earning regulated returns on network investment for maintaining and operating the electricity distribution infrastructure serving 2.5+ million customer connections.
2. Retail Electricity and Gas Supply: Electric Ireland supplies electricity and gas to 1.1 million residential and business customers across the island of Ireland in the competitive retail market.
3. Renewable Generation Assets: ESB owns and operates wind farms and is developing offshore wind projects including Inch Cape and Tonn Nua, generating electricity from renewable sources for sale into wholesale markets.
4. ESB International Consultancy: ESB International provides engineering consultancy, construction management, and operational services to utilities and governments internationally.
5. ESB Energy (UK Market): ESB operates in the UK competitive energy market through ESB Energy, serving business and residential customers with electricity and gas supply.
6. EV Charging Services: ESB ecars generates revenue from public EV charging sessions across its network of slow, fast, and rapid charging points throughout Ireland.
7. Telecommunications Infrastructure: ESB Telecoms provides tower and fiber infrastructure services to telecom operators and data centers, generating recurring revenue from infrastructure sharing arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ESB is a diversified state-owned utility that generates, transmits, distributes, and retails electricity and gas across Ireland. Through ESB Networks it operates the licensed distribution system serving 2.5 million+ customer connections, and through Electric Ireland it supplies electricity, gas and energy services to 1.3 million residential and business customers on the island of Ireland. Adjacent lines include ESB ecars (Ireland's largest public EV charging network), ESB Telecoms (wholesale fiber and tower infrastructure), and ESB International (engineering consultancy to overseas utilities).

Product overview

ESB is a diversified state-owned utility operating across the full electricity market from generation through transmission and distribution to retail supply, along with complementary services in telecommunications, EV charging, and energy solutions. The core product portfolio includes ESB Networks (electricity distribution to 2.5M customers), Electric Ireland (retail energy supply to 1.3M customers), Generation and Trading (power generation from wind, solar, offshore wind, hydrogen, and battery storage), ESB Telecoms (wholesale fiber and tower infrastructure with 381 towers and 1,500+ km of fiber), ESB ecars (Ireland's largest EV charging network with 1,600+ charge points), Smart Energy Services (commercial energy management solutions), ESB International (international energy consultancy), and ESB eHubs (shared mobility pilot).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ESB ecars: ESB's electric vehicle charging network operating over 1,600 charge points across the island of Ireland
• Electric Ireland
• ESB Telecoms
• ESB International
• ESB Networks
• X_Potential
• X_Site
• Green Atlantic @ Moneypoint
• ESB eHubs

Products and services

• ESB Networks Licensed electricity distribution system operator serving over 2.5 million customer connections across the Republic of Ireland with regulated network access, smart metering rollout, and connection services.
• Electric Ireland Retail division of ESB supplying electricity, gas and energy services to more than 1.3 million households and businesses on the island of Ireland through competitive retail tariffs and digital account management.
• ESB ecars Ireland's largest public EV charging network providing slow, fast and very fast DC charging across motorway services, shopping centres, car parks and on-street locations for individual drivers and fleet operators.
• ESB Telecoms Leading wholesale fiber and tower provider in Ireland operating 381 telecommunications towers and over 1,500km of national fiber network, providing transmission services for mobile operators, data centres, and critical infrastructure.
• Generation and Trading Power generation business covering onshore wind, solar, offshore wind, hydrogen, battery storage and hydroelectric generation, producing electricity for sale into wholesale markets and supporting Ireland's renewable energy targets.
• Smart Energy Services B2B energy solutions for large commercial customers including energy monitoring tools, solar PV integration, EV fleet charging infrastructure, heat pump solutions, battery storage, and LED lighting upgrades, with no-upfront-capital investment options.
• ESB International International energy consultancy and engineering services provider offering audits, feasibility studies, construction management and operational services to overseas utilities and governments across the full project lifecycle.
• ESB eHubs Pilot shared mobility project installing seven charge stations hosting shared electric cars, e-bikes and e-cargo bikes to test whether sustainable shared transport reduces private car use, congestion and emissions.
• NIE Networks Electricity distribution network operations in Northern Ireland, owned by ESB, providing regulated network services to customers across the region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.5+ million electricity customer connections served through ESB Networks distribution infrastructure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VodafonecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSiro joint venture between ESB and Vodafone for fiber broadband deployment across Ireland. Siro uses ESB's electricity infrastructure to deploy fiber-to-the-building broadband services, competing with traditional telecom operators.
• IoT TribeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner3-year partnership for the X_Potential innovation incubator program, focused on accelerating startup innovation in energy and climate technology solutions.
• GeoPuracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHydrogen power units trial with Equinix data centers, testing zero-emission backup power solutions as part of ESB's Net Zero 2040 commitment and sustainable infrastructure development.
• CorPower OceanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAOIRSE wave energy project collaboration for the development of wave energy technology, supporting Ireland's renewable energy objectives and ocean energy research.
• SSE RenewablescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture for Glenora wind project, combining ESB's energy infrastructure expertise with SSE Renewables' wind development capabilities.
• Red Rock RenewablescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture for Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm, a major offshore wind development project off the coast of Scotland, jointly developed by ESB and Red Rock Renewables.
• FuturEnergy IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partnership for wind energy projects across Ireland, combining ESB's grid infrastructure access with FuturEnergy's development pipeline.
• CoilltecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development of wind projects on Coillte forest estate land, leveraging ESB's grid connection capabilities and Coillte's land assets for renewable energy deployment.
• VoltaliaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSolar EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) contracts through Renvolt/Renpower brand for solar project development services.
• ØrstedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTonn Nua offshore wind project collaboration with Ørsted, one of the world's leading offshore wind developers, for Irish offshore wind development.
• European Space AgencyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for space technology applications in energy management, grid monitoring, and infrastructure optimization.
• SEAIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSustainable Energy Authority of Ireland collaboration for home energy retrofit programs, heat pump installation, and residential energy efficiency initiatives.
• Irish Government - Department of Environment, Climate and CommunicationscoreOthersGovernment partnership for national energy policy implementation, renewable energy targets, grid development under National Development Plan, and energy transition initiatives. 97.1% Government of Ireland ownership of ESB.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SSE: UK-listed integrated utility operating across generation, transmission, distribution, and retail supply with significant renewable energy portfolio. Most direct peer given similar vertically integrated business model and partnership with ESB on Glenora wind project.

Broad incumbents

• Enel: Italian-headquartered multinational utility with global renewable energy operations including offshore wind, grids, and retail supply. Comparable in scale and renewable transition strategy, though much larger and more geographically diversified than ESB.
• Iberdrola: Spanish global utility leader in renewable energy with significant offshore wind and grid operations across multiple geographies. Comparable in net-zero commitments and renewable transition trajectory, with similarly broad vertical integration.
• National Grid: UK-listed electricity and gas transmission system operator with regulated network returns model. Comparable to ESB Networks' regulated distribution monopoly, though National Grid focuses primarily on transmission rather than distribution.
• EDF: French state-majority-owned integrated utility with generation, distribution, and retail operations. Direct parallel to ESB as another European state-influenced utility undergoing energy transition, with comparable nuclear/thermal legacy issues.
• E.ON: German-headquartered European utility with distribution networks, retail supply, and energy solutions across multiple countries. Comparable in customer solutions offerings and grid operations, though more diversified geographically than ESB.

Regional players

• ScottishPower (Iberdrola subsidiary): UK operations of Iberdrola with generation, transmission, distribution, and retail supply in Scotland, England, and Wales. Comparable business model including renewable generation focus and regulated distribution network.
• Centrica: UK-listed energy retailer and solutions provider (British Gas parent) with downstream focus on retail supply and energy services. Comparable to Electric Ireland retail operations though without ESB's generation/distribution vertical.

Others

• Vattenfall:

Emerging players

• Ørsted: Danish offshore wind leader and partner to ESB on Tonn Nua project. While not a vertical utility peer, Ørsted is relevant as a renewable energy specialist shaping the offshore wind market where ESB is now investing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ESBGroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/ESBVideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/ESBCareers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esb-international
• Instagraminstagram.com/theesbgroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments4 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ESB