Imperial Continental Gas Association plc was a leading British gas utility operating in various cities in Continental Europe. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
History
The company was formed by Sir Moses MontefioreMoses Montefiore Halcyon, 29 June 2002 and some of his colleagues based in London in 1824 as the Imperial Continental Gas Association to establish gas utilities in other counties.Imperial Continental Gas Association records 1824 - 1976 National Archives It commenced operations distributing gas in Hannover in 1825 and providing gas lighting in Berlin in 1826. During the course of the 19th century it established gas works in Antwerp, Brussels, Berlin and Vienna.Where the action is: The Introduction and Acceptance of Infrastructure Innovations in Dutch Cities 1850-1950 Pim Kooij, 21 August 2006 Its operations in Vienna began in the mid-1840s; the head office from 1883 to 1902 was at the Palais Epstein.Palais Epstein
Sir William Congreve, 2nd Baronet was general manager from 1824. The noted philanthropist Goodwin Newton of Barrells Hall, and Glencripesdale Estate was Director and Chairman for a long period in the late nineteenth century. In the early twentieth century, Sir Henry Birchenough the future president of the British South Africa Company also served as a director of the company.Volume 1 Tariff Commission Report, Steel industry and trade – England; Textile industry and fabrics, London, 1904
It established the Westergasfabriek gas works in Amsterdam in 1883.Westergasfabriek
In 1928 it established Distrigas, the main gas distributor in Belgium, which is now owned by Eni.Publigas, Eni reach agreement on Distrigas sale Forbes, 26 June 2008 During World War I its operations in Berlin were nationalised by the German Government.Hansard House of Lords, 6 May 1918
In 1969 the company acquired all the shares in Calor Group that it did not already own.
In 1986 it rejected a bid from Gulf Resources & Chemical Corporation, a company controlled by the Barclay brothers.Imperial Gas New York Times, 23 October 1986 Instead in 1987 it broke itself up into Calor Group (now owned by SHV) and Contibel (now owned by Tractebel).
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Further reading