Irish Renewable Gas Conference 2026

Ciara Beausang is a Research Officer in Anaerobic Digestion with Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority. Her research interests include environmental modelling of biogas production and optimizing biogas yield from agricultural feedstocks. She has a PhD in Biosystems Engineering from University College Dublin.

Niall Farrell is Senior Research Officer at the Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI). He is an energy and environmental economist and has research interests in power systems economics and the distributional impacts of energy and climate policy. Niall has carried out research assessing the market structures required to integrate renewable energy technologies and has worked on the development of renewable energy policies that efficiently balance risk between investors and consumers. His work on distributional issues has assessed the equity and efficiency implications of electricity tariff structures in the UK, whilst also assessing the distributional impacts of renewable energy financing in Ireland. Niall is a research associate with INET Oxford and the Oxford Martin Programme on Integrating Renewable Energy. He carried out his PhD research on marine renewable energy with the Socio-Economic Marine Research Unit at the National University of Ireland, Galway. During this time he was a visiting student researcher at the University of California, Berkeley. Niall has published in The Energy Journal, Ecological Economics and Nature Energy.

Padraig Fleming is Biomethane Programme Manager at Gas Networks Ireland. He 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.

Seán Kinsella is the Principal Officer leading the Renewable Heat Delivery Division within the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The division has responsibility for funding and the development of district heating projects in Ireland. The division also leads on the implementation of the National Biomethane Strategy and the development of the Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme.

Stephen Robb is the Renewables Editor at the Irish Farmers Journal. Stephen completed his Food and Agribusiness Management undergraduate degree from UCD in 2015 and completed a Masters in Agricultural Innovation Support, with a focus on bioenergy supply chains, from Teagasc/UCD in 2017. He then joined the Irish Farmers Journal (IFJ) editorial team and over the next five years covered all aspects of the tillage, renewables and agri-innovation sector. In that time, he also led several projects exploring the feasibility of developing a farm-based anaerobic digestion industry in Ireland and virtual gas pipelines. In 2022 he took up the role of Renewables Editor at the IFJ and is also developing the Northwest Community Energy Park project.

James Temple is Renewables Manager at Flogas. He is an Energy Systems Engineer with a M.Eng in Electrical Energy Engineering. His studies revolved around the design of renewable energy technologies and their integration to the grid. He works in the Power and Renewables side of the business, having moved from the Technical Services team where he previously focused on energy efficiency projects. He manages Flogas Enterprise’s PPA portfolio in ROI and NI with a focus on developing relationships to enhance the services and expertise Flogas Enterprise can offer to the energy industry.

Brian Carroll is the Assistant Secretary leading on Built Environment; Retrofit and Heat Policy at the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications where key priorities include: the National Retrofit Programme; the Energy Efficiency Obligation Scheme; the Energy Efficiency Directive; the Renewable Energy Directive; Public Sector Energy Efficiency; and Renewable Heat Policy. Brian joined the Department in 2008, and within the Department has worked previously as Assistant Secretary General for Environment and Climate Action and for Natural Resources, Head of Decarbonisation and Head of Finance, Strategy and Corporate Affairs. He has wide experience across the public service, having also worked in the Departments of Finance, Foreign Affairs and Justice.

Katja Yafimava is Senior Research Fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies. She holds a D.Phil. in Geography and an M.Phil. in Russian and East European Studies from Oxford University. Dr Yafimava has been an expert at the UNECE Group of Experts on Gas since January 2015 and was an expert at the EU-Russia Gas Advisory Council during 2012-16. She has also written for Carnegie Moscow Center, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) and Italian Institute of International Affairs (IAI) as well as commented for various international media.

David Sutton recently joined Bord na Móna as Strategic Partnerships Manager and is responsible for developing the range of partnerships necessary to drive BnM’s energy pipeline, with particular emphasis on Eco-Energy Parks. Prior to joining BnM, David was VP of Strategy at CRH plc. Previously, he worked in consulting across a range of sectors including utilities, nuclear and renewables. David holds a master’s degree in business administration from University College Dublin and a bachelors degree in engineering from University of Galway.

Cathal Marley is the Chief Executive Officer of Gas Networks Ireland, the semi-state organisation responsible for operating Ireland’s €2.7 billion, 14,664km national gas network, serving over 720,000 customers nationwide, and focused on delivering on its critical role in energy security while transitioning to transporting renewable gases through its network. He has over 20 years’ experience in the utilities and infrastructure sector, having previously worked in senior roles across the electricity and water industries. Cathal holds an MBA from the Michael Smurfit Business School, UCD, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, a Board member of the IMI, a member of the DCU Governing Authority and a Board member of Swim Ireland. His early career was spent with EY in Dublin and Eastern Europe.

Karen Kavanagh was appointed Director of Networks and Economic Regulation of CRU in 2022. She is responsible for implementing and enhancing the CRU’s economic regulation of water, gas and electricity networks, ensuring that the CRU supports customers, underpins economic growth, and plays a transformational role in climate change adaptation and mitigation. She has a BSc in Applied Science and a PhD in Physics from the Technological University Dublin. She also holds an MSc in Economic Policy Studies from Trinity College Dublin and an Advanced Diploma in Quasi-Judicial Decision-Making from King’s Inns.

Seán Kinsella is the Principal Officer leading the Renewable Heat Delivery Division within the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. The division has responsibility for funding and the development of district heating projects in Ireland. The division also leads on the implementation of the National Biomethane Strategy and the development of the Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme.

Dale Guest is Chief Commercial Officer at Stream Bioenergy. Dale is a Chartered Accountant with over 25 years global experience in Corporate Finance, M&A and Renewable Energy, specialising in commercial negotiation, structuring of key projects and strategy development. Prior to joining the Stream Bioenergy team in February 2023, Dale held the position of Chief Financial Officer of RiverRidge Group, and was the Director of Corporate Banking Northern Ireland, for Bank of Ireland.

Karen Doyle is the Head of Business Development at Gas Networks Ireland and has responsibility for the development of renewable gas and provision of route to market for biomethane and green hydrogen. Karen has worked in the energy sector for over 17 years, having previously been Head of Energy and Infrastructure at Ulster Bank where she structured and delivered a number of landmark projects across the sector, including onshore wind (Ireland & UK), offshore development projects in UK, CCGT, biomass and waste to energy projects together with a number of portfolios of windfarm assets for both utility and fund clients. Energy efficiency and sustainability are keen interests and educating and sharing knowledge with others outside the energy sector to help to monetise opportunities and bring a greater awareness of the benefits of renewable energy to the economy and general society is important to Karen.

Seán Finan is the Chief Executive Officer at the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA), he is a Chartered Engineer and holds a Bachelor of Civil Engineering (Hons) Degree from National University of Ireland, Galway. Prior to joining IrBEA, he has over 12 years engineering and management experience with John Sisk & Son (Holding) Ltd and took a two-year secondment from Sisk (2015 – 2017) to complete the full-time elected role as 35th National President of Macra na Feirme – the young farmers’ representative organisation. Currently a Vice-President of the European Council of Young Farmers (CEJA) he also farms part-time. Over the years he has held various positions within many community, voluntary, representative and statutory organisations at a local, national and European level. Seán is looking forward to leading IrBEA and its members for a sustainable future in bioenergy and to strategically position bioenergy to play a key role in Ireland’s Sustainability Renewable Energy Roadmap into the future.

Helen Edwards has over 40 years' experience in the energy industry and is an expert on gas purchasing, supply, shipping and regulation in the UK and Ireland. She founded Ceres Energy in 2008 with a former colleague with the intention of entering the Irish biomethane market, and has marketed gas in Ireland since then. Ceres is the largest aggregator of biomethane in GB and has shipping and supply licences in Ireland, GB and Northern Ireland.

Niamh Hamill is an Assistant Principal Officer in the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications. Assigned to the Heat Delivery Unit, Niamh is overseeing the development of the Renewable Heat Obligation and Implementation of the National Biomethane Strategy.

Chris Alexander is the Chief Executive of Triangle Housing. Chris joined the Association in 1991 having previously worked in social housing development in England. He took overall management responsibility for the work carried out by Triangle Housing Association as its Chief Executive Officer in 2007. Triangle provides over 1400 units of accommodation and a range of support, care and employment services throughout Northern Ireland, employing nearly 500 people. It is a main provider of accommodation and support services to facilitate resettlement of individuals from hospital and institutional environments to the community.

Claire-Lise Speisser is Senior Manager, Public Affairs – Green Gases at GRDF, focusing on public affairs and partnership management in support of the energy transition. Previously, she spent over four years at TotalEnergies as an International Biogas Markets Analyst specialising in regulation and public affairs, following an internship in renewable energy strategy. Earlier, she worked as a Junior Public Policy Consultant at Alcimed, advising public and private sector clients on energy and environmental issues. She also held a commercial development and communications role at Sciences Po Toulouse Junior Conseil.

Ines Bouacida is a Research fellow at IDDRI, an independent policy research institute and a multi-stakeholder dialogue platform that identifies the conditions and proposes tools to put sustainable development at the heart of international relations and public and private policies. Ines works on the energy transition in France and Europe, notably the role of gas in decarbonisation, the future of gas infrastructures and the development of hydrogen. She holds a Master's degree in Sustainable Development with a specialty in Energy and Materials from Utrecht University (Netherlands).

Ian Marshall is Head of Business Development and Policy at the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE), Queen's University Belfast, where he builds strategic connections between research, industry, and government across bioenergy, energy systems, decarbonisation, and the circular bioeconomy. He previously held a similar role at the Institute for Global Food Security (IGFS) at Queen's, advancing research and industry collaboration across food integrity, agricultural and environmental resilience, nutrition, and data analytics. In 2018, Ian was elected to Seanad Éireann, serving as an Independent Senator until 2020. He is a former President of the Ulster Farmers' Union and former member of the Northern Ireland Agri-Food Strategy Board.

David Kelly is the Chief Executive Officer at Gas Networks Ireland, the semi-state organisation responsible for operating Ireland’s €3 billion, 14,725km national gas network, and ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of gas to almost 725,000 homes and businesses across the country. Gas Networks Ireland is aiming to deliver a repurposed, resized and fully decarbonised gas network. David was appointed CEO in February 2026, having previously served Director of Customer and Business Development at Gas Networks Ireland since 2022. He has over twenty years of experience in the private and public sectors and has spent a decade with the organisation, during this time he held the role of Group Head of Customer Operations and Public Affairs for Ervia. David is also the President of Dublin Chamber of Commerce.