Irish grid operator EirGrid’s profits fell last year – down from €7.9 million to €3.4 million before tax – because of a three-month unplanned outage of the East-West Interconnector between the UK and Ireland. The company is pursuing options to recover costs with its contractor and insurers.

Scotland could press ahead with a formal ban on fracking later this year, energy minister Paul Wheelhouse has indicated, in a move that would end the current reliance on using directions to planning authorities.