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Wednesday 8 March | 10.30am – 1.00pm

Marking International Women’s Day 2023, RenewableNI is holding their first female only event for women in the renewable energy sector, Women in Renewables, Promoting Voices.

Recognising the lower percentage of women in attendance at many energy events and forums, RenewableNI conducted a short diversity survey in late 2022 to find out how to change this.

Following the feedback on exactly women want from an event, the session is constructed to allowing learning and networking, at a time most suitable for the audience.

Women in the renewable sector work in areas including planning, engineering, legal and communication.  This marks the first time all areas are coming together to discuss their experiences.

During this event we will be using Slido allowing you to take part in polls and ask the panel questions. You will need to bring a mobile phone to access this.

We are delighted to see that delegates are registered from all areas of the sector including developers, planners, local government, law, communications, consultancy, academia and recruitment.

The day will begin with all-female panel of renewable industry experts, discussing topics including imposter syndrome, barriers in the industry and how to encourage diversity.  The renewable energy expects are:
• Ruth Forbes, Associate, Shoosmiths – who will chair the panel;
• Louise Cullen, Agriculture and Environment Correspondent, BBC NI;
• Tamasin Fraser, UK Director, ABO Wind;
• Niamh Kenny, Chair of RenewableNI Offshore Group and Project Director at North Channel Wind;
• Sara Tinsley, Chair of RenewableNI Planning Group and Planning and Environmental Consents Manager at Energia Renewables.

We will then begin the round table networking. Each table will have a chair leading their discussion, these include those from RES, SSE Renewables, SONI Ltd, Utility Regulator, NIE and KPMG.

Finally, it is lunch and the chance to mingle with the full group.

We would like to the Shoosmiths for sponsoring this event, thereby offering your ticket for free.  If you become unable to attend, please cancel your booking to allow someone else to avail to it.

Introducing the Women in Renewables panel

Ruth Forbes
Assoicate, Shoosmiths

Ruth is an Associate in the Energy & Infrastructure Department at Shoosmiths having joined the firm in 2019.

Ruth qualified as a solicitor in September 2016 and has garnered a broad range of experience in all aspects of property law including acquisitions and disposals, residential development and conveyancing. She became involved in the renewable energy sector in 2019 and made the move to the Energy & Infrastructure Department in 2022.

Ruth acts for clean energy developers specialising in site assembly and land strategy for energy and infrastructure projects, including on shore wind, solar, anaerobic digestion and energy storage, working closely alongside Department Head John Palmer.

Ruth is a member of the CBI Future Leaders Network and RenewableNI Small Scale Working Group.

Louise Cullen,
Agriculture & Environment Correspondent, BBC NI

Louise Cullen has worked in journalism for more than 20 years, becoming the Agriculture & Environment Correspondent at BBCNI in 2021.  Her career began with Reuters in Belfast, two weeks after graduating from Queen’s University Belfast in Law & Accounting. She relocated from Belfast to Fermanagh with work in 2002, later importing her husband from England and adopting several cats.

A month after starting her new role, she was the face of BBCNI at COP26 in Glasgow as world leaders made decisions on addressing climate change. Outside of work, Louise is a keen reader and puzzler, enjoying cryptic crosswords, sudoku and word games. She is also a Zumba instructor, occasional baker and closet poet.

Tamasin Fraser
UK Director, ABO Wind

Tamasin Fraser is Director of the UK subsidiaries of ABO Wind, part of the internationally successful ABO Wind AG group. Tamasin joined ABO in 2011 and is responsible for delivering the Company’s pipeline of onshore wind, solar, energy storage and hydrogen projects across the UK. A graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast and Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, she is a Chartered Planner with over 17 years experience in the private sector.
Prior to joining ABO, Tamasin worked in consultancy for a range of major clients across various sectors in England and Wales before returning to home shores in 2007 to continue her career in private consultancy.
Since then, she has spent more than a decade in the development of renewable energy projects, most recently successfully leading the delivery of the ABO Group’s first 50MW Battery Energy Storage project.

Niamh Kenny
Chair of RenewableNI Offshore working group
Project Director, North Channel Wind

Niamh became the CEO of rural development organization Blackwater Resource Development at just 26.  She established consultancy firm Exodea Consulting in 2004 during which time she grew the research and innovation part of the business and began her work with renewable energy organisations and companies.

She joined Irish renewable energy developer DP Energy in 2012, while there she gained experience in all elements of project development including greenfield development, project acquisition, joint ventures, conflict resolution, contract negotiations, leading financial close and asset operation in Ireland and abroad.

Niamh led the team which built a portfolio of 3GW of offshore wind in the Republic of Ireland, which is now being jointly developed by DP and Iberdrola. Niamh is currently Project Director with North Channel Wind, which has the potential for circa 400-500MW of floating offshore wind in Northern Ireland. The project is being developed in conjunction with SBM Offshore.

Niamh Kenny, Chair of REnewableNI offshore wind wg standing with Belfast docks in the blurred background

Sara Tinsley BSc, DipTP, MRTPI
Chair of RenewableNI’s Planning Group
Planning and Environmental Consents Manager, Energia Renewables

A Chartered Town Planner, Sara is responsible for a team managing planning and environmental matters across Ireland, supporting the development of wind, solar, battery storage, hydrogen production, and other renewable technologies.
Prior to joining Energia Renewables, Sara worked in private consultancy and has extensive experience of the development industry, advancing schemes for a range of major clients including energy companies.
Sara is the Chair of the RenewableNI Planning Working Group and sits on the Planning Committee for Wind Energy Ireland.
Sara is Committee member of the Planning and Environmental Law Association for Northern Ireland and also sits on University of Ulster’s UPLAN Advisory Group.

This event is held in association with