International Women's Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. As a leading developer and operator of renewable energy across the island of Ireland we are proud to celebrate some of the female engineering talent in our company.

Éadaoin McLoughlin graduated from UCD with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 2014 She has built her expertise working on engineering projects both here in Ireland and further afield in the Middle East. Eadaoin joined Energia Group in 2021 as a Project Manager in our Renewables team. Speaking about the project that she is currently heading up she said, “The Castlereagh Battery Energy Storage Project is Energia Group’s first grid connected battery site and is a key piece of infrastructure that will help our transition to net zero. Battery storage facilities like Castlereagh will help the stability of the electricity grid during times of high renewable generation by storing electricity which can then be released back into the system very quickly when needed.”

Speaking about her career to date, Éadaoin said, “Throughout my career I have worked with talented engineers who have shared their knowledge generously. I love problem solving and in school I enjoyed maths and physics, in fact it was my Physics teacher who encouraged me to consider a career in engineering – I am so glad I did.”

Speaking about being an Engineer, Éadaoin, said, “If you like maths and science engineering is definitely an option to consider. It’s a great degree that opens so many doors, is a passport to work all over the world and gives you the skills and training to work in a wide range of industries. Engineers contribute to addressing some of the most challenging problems faced by the world in the decades to come.”

For young people considering a career in engineering Éadaoin’s advice is, “There are so many different types of engineers and you can work in such a wide range of jobs in the different engineering disciplines. Good communication skills and the ability to work in a team are both important skills that would stand to any engineer in their career as well as an appetite for constant learning.”

Energia Group is building an inclusive company culture that leverages diversity and supports professional development opportunities for women. In 2021 the Group signed up to Business in the Community’s Elevate pledge and we launched our Women in Energy Network as part of the company’s broader Diversity and Inclusion programme. As part of the Women in Energy network a number of groups were created including; Women’s Health and Well-being; Early Career Women; Women Returners and Aspiring Women all of which are aimed at supporting women through various career and personal milestones.