Northern Ireland Energy Forum 2025
The Northern Ireland Energy Forum, now in its 24th year, is the longest established annual conference for Northern Ireland’s energy sector and is a not-to-be-missed event for anyone with an interest in the local energy industry. The 2025 Forum will once again bring together all the key players, from Northern Ireland and further afield, to focus on the most important aspects of energy policy and the latest developments across the sector. It provides a unique opportunity for all those operating within the sector to come together for networking and discussion.
Key features of the 2025 Forum include:
- In-depth examination of key policy issues
- Address from the Minister for the Economy
- Update from the energy regulator
- Overview of Northern Ireland’s major energy projects
- Attended by all the key players in the Northern Ireland energy sector
- Major networking opportunities
Where
Titanic Belfast
When
Wednesday 12th
November
2025 themes
- Decarbonising the Northern Ireland economy
- Regulatory outlook for the energy sector
- Energy security in a fractured world
- The future of the electricity grid
- Heat networks as part of a just transition to net zero
- Developing a biomethane sector in Northern Ireland
- Meeting the need for long term energy storage
- Accelerating the development of renewable energy sources
- Developing a hydrogen economy
Event Speakers
Speakers confirmed so far include:
Caoimhe Archibald MLA
Minister for the Economy
Richard Rodgers
Department for the Economy
John French
Utility Regulator
Roger Henderson
NIE Networks
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Stephen Gallagher
SSE Airtricity
William Orbinson KC
Anna Rita Bennato
CERRE affiliate
Niall Martindale
Kinecx Energy
Eugene McKenna
Johnson Matthey
Tamasin Fraser
Omnipower Renewables
Alan Campbell
SONI
Sara Lynch
Queen's University Belfast
Andrew Ryan
TLT Solicitors
Paddy Larkin
Mutual Energy
Keith Bell
UK Energy Research Centre
Declan Billington
DGB Consultancy Limited
David McGowan
SONI
Mark McGranaghan
Smart Grid Ireland
Sam McCloskey
Simply Blue Group
Programme
Registration & morning coffee
Chair’s welcome and introduction
Sam McCloskey, Country Director Simply Blue Group
The path to net zero: secure, affordable, clean
Caoimhe Archibald MLAMinister for the Economy
Protecting Consumers on the way to Net Zero
John French, Chief ExecutiveUtility Regulator
PANEL DISCUSSION: ENERGY LEADERS’ FORUM
Alan Campbell, Chief Executive, SONI
Stephen Gallagher, Managing Director, SSE Airtricity
Roger Henderson, Network Assets & Investment Director, NIE Networks
Niall Martindale, CEO, Kinecx Energy
Morning coffee / networking break
environment
Planning, environment and delivering energy projects: The pressure is on
Andrew Ryan, Partner TLT Solicitors
Batteries in wind-dominated areas of network: solution or problem? A Scottish case study
Keith Bell, University of Strathclyde and co-Director UK Energy Research Centre
Clean hydrogen’s role in the energy transition
Eugene McKenna, Senior VP Hydrogen and Sustainable TechnologiesJohnson Matthey
Flexibility in the energy sector
Anna Rita Bennato, Loughborough Business School and Report Author CERRE
Green hydrogen and the energy transition
Paddy Larkin, Chief Executive OfficerMutual Energy
Questions & answers / Panel discussion
Networking lunch
Future electricity grid: Shaping our electricity future
David McGowan, Head of Future Power SystemsSONI
Delivering a geothermal energy project
Sara Lynch, Head of SustainabilityQueen’s University Belfast
The role of heat networks in decarbonising the heat sector
Declan Billington, ConsultantDGB Consultancy Limited
Deploying of a highly decarbonised energy grid on the island of Ireland by 2030
Mark McGranaghan, ChairSmart Grid Ireland
Questions & answers / Panel discussion
Comfort break
PANEL DISCUSSION: SHAPING NORTHERN IRELAND’S FUTURE ENERGY LANDSCAPE
Tamasin Fraser, Founder and Managing Director, Omnipower Renewables
William Orbinson KC
Richard Rodgers, Deputy Secretary, Head of Energy, Department for the Economy
Chairman’s summary and conference close
Sponsorship & Exhibition opportunities
There are a limited number of opportunities for interested organisations to partner with the 2025 Northern Ireland Energy Forum. This is an excellent way for organisations to showcase their expertise and raise their profile with a key audience of senior policy and decision makers from across Northern Ireland’s energy sector. For further information on how your organisation can benefit, contact Olivia Ross on 028 9261 9933 or email olivia.ross@agendaNi.com
Event Venue
Event venue location info and gallery
Titanic Belfast
1 Olympic Way
Queen’s Road
Titanic Quarter
Belfast
Northern Ireland
BT3 9EP
Newsletter
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