# Gas Networks Ireland Gets Planning Approval for €200 Million Compressor Station Upgrade

> Dumfries & Galloway Council approved Gas Networks Ireland's €200 million plan to fit electric motor drives at two Scottish compressor stations.

- Published: 2026-11-07T07:37:53+00:00
- Section: Regulation & Approvals
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-11-07/gas-networks-ireland-compressor-station-approval
- Source: [The Irish Times](https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/11/07/planners-approve-gas-networks-irelands-200m-investment-to-cut-emissions/)

## Key takeaways

- Dumfries & Galloway Council approved Gas Networks Ireland's €200 million plan to fit electric motor drives on compressor stations at Beattock and Brighouse Bay.
- The project is expected to cut the company's carbon dioxide emissions by 87,000 tonnes a year, a 42% reduction.
- Around 80% of the gas used in Ireland passes through the Moffat Interconnector stations covered by the permission.

[Gas Networks Ireland](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0007ksk/gas-networks-ireland) has won planning permission from Dumfries & Galloway Council for a €200 million project to fit electric motor drives at compressor stations on the Moffat Interconnector in Scotland. [The Irish Times](https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2026/11/07/planners-approve-gas-networks-irelands-200m-investment-to-cut-emissions/) reported that the work covers the Beattock and Brighouse Bay stations and is expected to cut the company's carbon dioxide emissions by 87,000 tonnes a year.

## What the Moffat Interconnector Approval Covers

Gas Networks Ireland operates the network that supplies natural gas to homes and businesses in Ireland from domestic and international sources. The Moffat Interconnector links Ireland's system to a wider European network from which the country imports large quantities of natural gas, mostly from Britain or Norway.

The compressor stations maintain the pressure needed to move gas through undersea pipes that connect with Ireland's own network. The electric motors will replace existing turbines driven by natural gas, cutting emissions to zero at those sites. According to the company, the project will reduce its overall carbon dioxide emissions by 42 per cent while maintaining the pipeline's reliability.

Brian Sheehan, Gas Networks Ireland's director of assets and infrastructure, welcomed the council's decision. "Around 80 per cent of the gas we use in Ireland passes through these stations," he said. Sheehan added: "The planning permission is a positive step forward in delivering this infrastructure and we continue to work closely with stakeholders in Ireland and Scotland as the project progresses."

## Gas Networks Ireland's €200 Million Scottish Investment

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), Gas Networks Ireland announced in March 2026 a €200 million investment to decarbonise its two Scottish compressor stations at Beattock and Brighouse Bay, targeting a 42% reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions through electric motor drives, with the work expected to be operational by 2030. The same records describe Gas Networks Ireland as the state-owned regulated monopoly operating Ireland's 14,758 km national gas transmission and distribution network, serving over 720,000 residential, commercial, industrial and power generation customers.

## Earlier Moves on Ireland's Gas Network

In August 2026, Gas Networks Ireland connected Bia Energy's €90 million biomethane production plant at Huntstown, Co Dublin, to its gas network, the first biomethane producer to connect directly to Ireland's national gas system, The Irish Times reported. Agriland.ie reported that a €30 million biomethane plant in Nobber, Co. Meath, converting agri-food waste into renewable gas, was connected to the national gas network later that month, with an annual production capacity of up to 75 GWh. In October 2026, The Irish Times reported that a system glitch caused domestic gas customers to receive estimated bills up to 10 times the amounts owed, and that the operator said the issue was identified and fixed.

## When the Compressor Upgrade Is Due

Company records state that the electric motor drive work at Beattock and Brighouse Bay is expected to be operational by 2030.

## Companies in this story

- [Gas Networks Ireland company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0007ksk/gas-networks-ireland) · website: https://www.gasnetworks.ie

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