The proposed acquisition by Maxol from Topaz of three Esso-branded service stations in Dublin and Kildare has been cleared by the competition authorities in the Irish Republic.

The latest additions to the Maxol network will see the company grow to 230 service stations across the country, with seven new sites in Leinster alone this year, as part of a significant expansion plan.

Incoming group chief executive Brian Donaldson commented: “This year is particularly exciting for Maxol as the success of our expansion strategy is evident in our multiple site openings of late and those in the pipeline. We are delighted to now add these three quality Leinster locations to our growing service station network from 1st July.

“We have been keen to strengthen our presence in Leinster and these three stations will allow Maxol to serve a great many new customers in Ireland’s most densely populated region. It also complements the other four locations that we’ve recently been developing.

“We opened a new outlet in Dundalk in October last year and opened our largest station to date in North Dublin near Mulhuddart in April, a true milestone for us. In recent weeks we opened Maxol Donabate and we’ve also started construction on another two-acre site in Ballycoolin, Dublin, which will be completed by the end of the year.

“The future for Maxol represents even more exciting developments and investment right across the country as we continue with our innovative approach to forecourt convenience retailing.

“We look forward to making further announcements on our plans for these three new Leinster sites in the very near future.”