Gas (Amendment) Act, 2000

Prohibition on Board entering into certain contracts.

9.—(1) The Board shall not, before 30 September 2004, without the prior written consent of the Commission, enter into a contract (otherwise than pursuant to section 10 ) whereby it agrees to make available to any other person the use of an amount of the capacity of the natural gas network for the purposes of supplying natural gas to a generating station, commissioned after the passing of this Act, for the purpose of providing energy for the generation of electricity at that station.

(2) A contract which contravenes subsection (1) shall be void.

(3) The Minister may make an order providing that subsections (1) and (2) shall stand repealed on such day as is specified in the order.

(4) The Minister may only make such an order if it appears to him or her that, at the time of the making of the order, the available capacity of the natural gas network is such as will allow the Board to enter into contracts of the kind referred to in subsection (1) without any likelihood of prejudice to the rights or obligations of persons under any of the contracts entered into pursuant to section 10 thereby arising.