National Conference

Engineers Ireland’s 2025 National Conference, entitled Green Spark: The Future of Ireland’s Energy, was held at the Guinness Storehouse, St. James’s Gate, Dublin 8, on Wednesday, 19 November.

The conference discussed and showcased the various renewable energies that will play an important part in powering Ireland over the coming years and decades, as well as the challenges that we are experiencing, and will experience, in meeting our country’s energy needs.

Speakers

Our complete speaker programme for this event.

Seán Keyes

Executive Director of Progress Ireland

Sean Keyes is the Executive Director of Progress Ireland, and leads infrastructure policy. Previously he was finance editor of The Currency, managing editor of MoneyWeek, and editor of an equity research newsletter. His academic background is in economics.

Padraig Fleming

Biomethane Programme Manager at Gas Networks Ireland

Padraig Fleming is currently working on increasing the amount of renewable gas that Gas Networks Ireland transports to start the transformation of gas industry in Ireland to a sustainable energy business. He has previously worked for a number of energy companies including Ervia, Bord Gáis Energy, ESB, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities.

Prof. Sarah McCormack

Professor in Sustainable Energy and Head of Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at Trinity College Dublin

Prof. McCormack’s research focuses on solar energy technologies, luminescent solar concentrators, daylighting, and spectral modulation of light to enhance building performance and human wellbeing. She has led major national and EU-funded projects, including work on integrated renewable energy systems and ERC Proof of Concept research to advance luminescent solar technology towards application. Prof. McCormack is also an advocate for gender equity in STEM and has contributed to national discussions having addressed the Oireachtas on women in engineering and the future of STEM education.

Dr Tim Gregory

Nuclear Chemist and Author of Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World

Dr Tim Gregory is a nuclear chemist working in the heart of the British nuclear industry, taking him to the forefront of nuclear energy, net zero and nuclear medicine. He has a PhD in isotope cosmochemistry from the University of Bristol. A speaker and broadcaster, Tim is also the author of Meteorites: The Stones From Outer Space That Made Our World and Going Nuclear: How the Atom Will Save the World.

Kieran White

Senior Vice President of Ørsted Onshore Europe

Kieran is responsible for ensuring the continuing optimal performance of operating assets and the continued growth of Ørsted’s Onshore Europe business. The Cork office is the HQ for Ørsted Onshore Europe, and we develop and operate renewable energy projects in Spain, the UK and Germany. Kieran joined Ørsted in 2021 as a result of the acquisition of the Brookfield Renewable’s Ireland and UK renewable assets. At Brookfield, Kieran was CEO of the Ireland & UK renewable business from 2018 and was instrumental in the preparation of the business for sale and the integration of the business into the Ørsted group. Prior to joining Brookfield, Kieran has managed a variety of manufacturing businesses across Ireland & the UK in the course of the previous 15 years and before that worked as a consultant across different industry sectors.

Dr Lisa Ryan

Professor in Energy Economics at University College Dublin

Lisa Ryan is a professor of energy economics in UCD School of Economics and the UCD Energy Institute. She leads a research team focusing on clean energy technology adoption, energy markets, and climate change economics and related policy.

Damien Owens

Director General of Engineers Ireland

Damien Owens is the Director General of Engineers Ireland, and a Chartered Engineer and Engineers Ireland Fellow. He previously served as Registrar at Engineers Ireland, having joined from the telecommunications industry.

Siobhán McHugh

Energy & Utilities (E&U) Consulting Lead with PwC Ireland

Siobhán is the Energy & Utilities (E&U) Consulting Lead with PwC Ireland and has supported clients across the electricity, water and gas sectors. Her expertise spans infrastructure development, asset management, energy markets, power system operation, and decarbonisation policy. She is the Chair of Engineers Ireland's Energy, Environment and Climate Action division, and is a former board member of Renewable Energy Ireland.

Donal O'Sullivan

VP of Development at Statkraft Ireland

Donal is responsible for overseeing all of Statkraft Ireland’s development activities across onshore wind, offshore wind, solar and grid services. He is a member of Wind Energy Ireland (WEI) Council and a former Director of the Irish Solar Energy Association (ISEA)

He is an Electrical Engineer with 20 years of project development & industry leadership experience in the renewable energy sector both in Ireland & the UK. Donal has overseen the delivery of over 1GW of projects into construction for since Statkraft entered Ireland in 2018 across onshore wind, solar and grid services projects and he has also grown Statkraft’s development pipeline to over 4GW across all forms of renewables including the 500MW NISA offshore wind project.