EPower, the electricity company part-owned by Esat founder Denis O'Brien, has been refused planning permission by Meath County Council to construct a power generation plant at Farganstown near Navan.

The company has recently taken a 40 per cent stake in a rival plant in west Dublin, which is being developed by BP Amoco and Ireland Power, a group controlled by US businessman Larry Thomas.

Separately, it has emerged that the building materials group CRH is seeking to sell up to 70 per cent of its stake in a power generation plant planned for Huntstown, north Co Dublin.

The company owns half the project in a 50:50 joint venture with Northern Ireland firm Viridian and can reduce its shareholding to 15 per cent.

A document circulated by CRH's advisers Deutsche Bank has invited expressions of interest in acquiring a stake in the project.