The SEM Committee (SEMC) announced today (17 April) that the go-live date for the Integrated Single Electricity Market (I-SEM) has been pushed back until 1 October 2018. I-SEM is the new wholesale electricity market arrangement for Ireland and Northern Ireland, designed to integrate the all-island electricity market with European electricity markets, enabling the free flow of energy across borders.
The statement came almost a month after the SEMC warned that the previous date of 23 May 2018 was “at risk” due to ongoing issues with central IT systems, which are required for the market to function effectively.
In its announcement, the SEMC noted that there had been “significant work” undertaken by all market participants to make the go live date, but that there was still a view from industry that the transition to the new market arrangements would require this date to be further extended. It added that while it considered it “important that the market is launched as soon as possible”, the serious concerns raised by the industry necessitated the delay.
